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 […]
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 […]
Friday 12th March. Harry Allen reports. Last Friday brought a novelty to Donaldson Park rugby ground. At 7.30pm Donaghadee’s First XV played their first-ever floodlit game. Their opponents were near-neighbours CIYMS. Donaghadee, as is their wont, having won the toss for this crucial League game, opted to play against the elements in the first half, […]
Saturday 6th March. Harry Allen reports. (Above picture: Kevin Monson starts an attack with Richard Millar in support.) When the staunch Donaghadee supporters watched their First XV take the field at Donaldson Park last Saturday there was only one serious question in their minds. Just how many changes had been forced on them in seven […]
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 […]
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 […]