At two o’clock last Saturday Donaghadee coach Jimmie McCoy was still facing selection problems for his First XV’s opening game of the league season. This had been because of a scarcely-believable series of cry-offs and late failures of fitness tests. Thursday’s training session had begun with the knowledge that Dougie Gordon, Billy Allen, Gareth Gordon […]
Donaghadee Rugby Club have now confirmed the appointment of Coaches/Captains and Team Managers for the season 2010/11. Former Ulster and Irish international Jimmy McCoy will take over as 1st xv coach from Ian Martindale who is standing down after three years in charge. McCoy will bring a wealth of Club and International experience to his […]
The first opportunity Donaghadee had to test the mettle of their opponents came early, and gave players and spectators an idea of what was to come. A clean line-out possession became a rolling maul that gave clear indication to spectators, players and referee that Donaghadee’s pack is a very formidable unit as they took their […]
Donaghadee began the game with the breeze diagonally behind them, and with this notional advantage they got first dibs at a penalty goal attempt. But Richard Millar’s aim was just wide. The Coleraine students came back at Donaghadee from the restart, and when the ball went to ground on halfway a desperation fly-hack flew towards […]
When Donaghadee visited Blaris last Saturday the day was mild and by this winter’s standards fairly dry and the pitch looked quite green. The day continued much the same but the pitch gradually took on a browner colour and a top surface that discouraged any fancy running. Donaghadee did mount a couple of dangerous runs […]
Saturday 27th March. Report by Harry Allen. Way back on 10 October 2009 the Donaghadee first team was narrowly beaten at Roughfort in a game where many felt the better team lost. Since that autumnal day the stories that have been filtering back to Donaghadee from south Antrim have been of a noticeable improvement in […]
Saturday 20th March. Harry Allen reports. After their great runs in both Junior and Towns’ Cups had ended, and having recently suffered a serious league defeat to CIYMS in the League, Donaghadee went to Carrickfergus last Saturday feeling like they needed a solid victory to pull their season back together. With scrum half Alastair Lockhart […]
Saturday 27th February. Harry Allen reports. When the Donaghadee coachload arrived in Fivemiletown for the long-anticipated Junior Cup Semi-final there were mixed feelings. The sunny conditions apparent from the coach windows were quickly supplemented by the warm welcome given by the Clogher Valley men. As the game’s start approached it was the stiff Tyrone wind […]
Saturday 13th February 2010. Report by Harry Allen. According to the Ulster Branch, until last Saturday CI had only lost one game out of eleven, and had scored over 400 points, but the Dee fans well knew that their First XV’s form since before Christmas was greatly improved since their poor early season and that […]
The above scoreline may surprise many rugby pundits but Donaghadee really did deserve to win this thrilling encounter at Sandel Lodge Park, Coleraine. If the overnight loss of their player/coach Ian Martindale to illness caused some uneasiness amongst the large travelling support prior to kick off the pre-match lunch in Coleraine’s clubhouse put all those […]