Armagh Power NI 3rd xv v Ballyclare 4th xv
On Saturday Armagh Power NI hosted an unbeaten Ballyclare side at the Palace Grounds in the forster cup. Armagh were at full strength and seemed hungry for the win from the start against an experienced ‘Clare team. From the start Armagh and the visitors went hammer and tongs at each other for the first 20 minutes with the first score coming from a Ballyclare penalty. 0-3
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Following some great carrying from Andrew Morton, Richard Morton and Stuart McMahon the backs started to get their trademark quick ball. With the front foot Armagh Power NI moved the ball wide into some space for Matty Allen to set prop Andrew Morton up for a 2 on 1 with the ‘Clare fullback. Morton put Mark Laverty in for a score. Andrew Knipe converted. 7-3
Armagh kept the pace up and scored another try through Matty Allen after some big carries from Captain Chris Wallace, Paul Cully, Jude Parr and Scrum half Stanley Hamilton. 12-3
Ballyclare started to get there big centres running inwards causing some problems for Armagh and with the front foot ball they managed to get the ball wide for their winger to score. Conversion missed 12-8
With seconds of the first half remaining Laverty hit a hard line of Knipe and broke through to score at the posts leaving the score at half time 19-8.
The second half was a different ball game with Armagh pinned in their ’22’ for most of it and a lot of defending to do. Ballyclare scored early on with some big carries from the pack. Conversion missed 19-13. They went on to score another converted score and a penalty with 2 minutes to play it looked like Armagh were beaten with the score line at 23-19. But Armagh showed some great resolve, with Hamilton breaking to give Knipe the ball who fed Allen who drew his man and fed Robert Straghan who scored outwide to win the match 24-23.
This was a tight game but the young Armagh side showed great determination and never gave up. Man of the match went to Rory Hanna who played one of the best matches of his career.
