Bangor 33-Lisburn 35: At Bangor last Saturday the Tata Steel sponsored Lisburn team pulled a rabbit out of the bag to pip a resurgent Bangor outfit by 35 points to 33 in injury time. The visitors had got off to a great start with a whirlwind brace of tries in the first five minutes of the game with Scott Hughes and Owen Hilary touching down to the dismay of the large home support. However, ten minutes later smiles were back on the Bangor faces as their big centre Morgan split the defence to create space for a score under the posts and the simple conversion made it 7-10.
Shortly afterwards young Lisburn flanker Jonathan Kelso was injured in a heavy clash which left him with a concussion requiring treatment and Lisburn were down to fourteen men for the remainder of the game. However, Lisburn continued to give Bangor a tough time in the set pieces and in the loose where the trio of Hendron, Curry and Mark, all returning to the pack after injuries, some of them long term, stood out like beacons.
Lisburn scored a third try through winger Owen Hilary after he had chipped over the defence in a great back movement and then won the race for the touchdown. Unfortunately the conversion was missed and Bangor reached half time with a converted try of their own to leave the interval score at 15 points to 14 with everything to play for in the warm sunshine of the second half.
Bangor were first into their stride with another well taken try but number 8, Ross Hendron, got the next one after he was bundled over from a close in ruck. Scott Hughes got the conversion and then added a penalty to bring the Lisburn total up to 25 points. Lisburn were occasionally losing out big time to the strong running Bangor backline and badly missed the absent Kelso at open side flanker, and with ten minutes to go the home side had opened up an eight point gap at 33-25. Scott Hughes then added three points from a penalty and with the referee checking his watch, it looked as if all was over for Lisburn, still facing a five point deficit. It was at this stage that the influential Mark stepped up to the plate to score a fine try to equalise the score at 33 points each and with the conversion to come. Scott Hughes stepped forward to slot the ball between the posts to earn an excellent win for Lisburn and to gain revenge for the earlier match at the start of the season when Bangor managed to snatch victory at Blaris much against the run of play.
This win now puts Lisburn well clear of any relegation worries as they prepare to take on Grosvenor at Blaris on 14th April and then Enniskillen away on 28th April in a rearranged game. The 2nd XV finished their season with a well-earned win over rivals Ballynahinch at Blaris on Saturday to finish 3rd in the table while the 3rd XV have still to play Ballyclare 3s (14th April) and Limavady 2s. The Club’s Annual Dinner will be held on Sat 21st April – Leslie Mills is now collecting names.
