Last Saturday there was no competitive rugby for the Ballyclare R.F.C. teams due to the waterlogged conditions of the grounds. The 1st XV did not have a game in Qualifying 2 scheduled and will have a lay off until 14th January when Enniskillen will be the visitors to the Cloughan. The first round of the Towns Cup is down for Saturday 7th but this year Ballyclare got a bye to the second round. This means that the Clare team will be out of action for four weeks which is almost a carbon copy of last season when the snow and ice prevented any play for six weeks. Last Saturday Ballyclare 2nds were due to travel to Fivemiletown to play Clogher Valley 2nds in the first round of the Crawford Cup but the grounds at the Cran were frozen on Saturday morning so this one will have to be re arranged. Tony Turner`s Clare Thirds were to play Lisburn 3rds in the same Cup having beaten the Lisburn men by over sixty points earlier in the league so it was no surprise when Lisburn called it off unable to raise a team. The Clare Fourths were due to play Armoy at home in a postponed first round tie in the McCambley Cup but it too was called off due to wet grounds for the second week running. It is unfortunate that a sand based school pitch was not used as that might have allowed the game to go ahead.
Ballyclare down to third place
Following the results of wins on Saturday in Qualifying 2 for U.U.C. and Omagh the positions in the league table have changed and the Clare have been deposed as joint leaders. The current situation is–1st-Omagh-36 points from 10 games played; 2nd-U.U.C.-34 from 8; 3rd-Ballyclare -32 from 9; 3rd-Enniskillen -32 from 10; Now with 2011 almost gone the other club teams are well placed–the Seconds led by Jonathan Birkmyre have won 4 and lost 3games to be in fifth spot in Junior 1; Tony Turner`s Thirds have won 6 and lost 1 to lie in second place in Junior 3 and the Fourths led by Neil Reynolds have won 10 and lost 0 in the Monor league and are well clear at the top.
The only scheduled matches over the holiday period will be on Boxing Day when the 1st XV and 2nd XV are due to travel to the Glynn to play their Larne counterparts for the annual Hall Trophy fixtures –it is determined by the cumulative points from the two matches. Balyclare reclaimed the cup last season at the Cloughan but the last time at the Glynn two years ago it was the Larne men who deservedly won the trophy. The games are down to kick off at 2-30p.m. on Boxing Day.
