DEE GET BACK TO WINNING WAYS
Donaghadee 1st XV were delighted to welcome Holywood to Donaldson Park on Saturday last for the first time in some years for the First Round of the Millar McCall Wylie Junior Cup. After an indifferent start to the season the Dee were hoping to kick-start their campaign against a Holywood side newly admitted to Qualifying Two. With only two minutes on the clock Dee No. 10 Mark Cooper opened the scoring with a neat penalty kick from the twenty two. Shortly afterwards Dee skipper Alastair Lockhart spotted the blind side of a home scrum undefended and skipped in unopposed for a try which was converted by Cooper. With Holywood on the back foot the Dee threatened the line on more than one occasion but a combination of poor handling from the home side and sturdy defence from Holywood kept the latter’s line intact until wingers Paul McKenzie and Ryan Irvine ran great lines to score a further two tries after groundwork laid by Lockhart and the barnstorming Chris Hamilton just prior to half time with Cooper converting one out of two. The Dee then went through a scrappy phase in the early part of the second half before regaining their composure and scoring a well worked try through Stephen Adams – the big lock charging and stepping his way through the fraught Holywood defence to score under the posts leaving McKenzie to make the conversion. Lockhart and Irvine then completed their respective braces with Cooper and Nigel Barker converting one apiece. With the Dee continuing to press on the Holywood twenty
two they were penalised for closing-off and the Holywood scrum half tapped quickly for the ball to be moved out to the wing where their speedy flanker ran in for an unconverted try from fully seventy metres with the Dee defence struggling to recover from their offensive efforts. Proceedings were brought to an early close when Holywood – spurred on by their try – turned over ball in the Dee twenty two and the ball was spun out to the wing where Chris McGivern outpaced the defence before feeding supporting full-back Bill Allen who ran in for the score of the day. With Cooper adding the extras the referee whistled for no side leaving Donaghadee winners by a 50-5 scoreline. Apart from those already mentioned Adam Torrans and Gareth Gordon had their usual solid games in the front row, Kyle Morrow used his height and skill to good effect at lock, David Keys continues to adapt to his new No. 6 role with no little success, Thomas Slane was solid at centre, Morgan Ellis effective off the bench and also extremely pleasing to see Paul Hamilton back on the 1st XV – this time executing his abrasive skills from the No. 8 position.
As ever Man of the Match performances from skipper Lockhart, Chris Hamilton, Adams & Barker but perhaps on this occasion the honour of that particular accolade should go to tight-head and Director of Rugby Chris Good who produced an exemplary performance in both tight and loose play.
Special mention must be made of Holywood who, due to injury and unavailability, were in some doubt earlier in the week as to whether they could fulfil the fixture but who came to Donaldson Park and put on an extremely dogged display on the park and a very sociable one off it – good to see the Clubhouse full of home and opposition players and alickadoos sharing a bit of craic after the match in the true spirit of the game.
A fair day at the office then for the Dee with the returning McKenzie and Barker adding experience and guile to the backline and whilst it was pleasing to score some points and to get a win the unfortunate propensity for the side to ghost in and out of the game will continue to be something of a worry to the coaching staff and will be one which they will be hoping to address in the incoming weeks and months during which a raft of important league games are to be played.
SECOND XV GAME CANCELLED
Unfortunately Coleraine III were unable able to field at Donaldson Park and so conceded the points to the 2nd XV.
FIXTURES
This Saturday the 1st XV travel to Chambers Park to face early league challengers Portadown and the 2nd XV entertain Carrick III at Donaghadee. Both games kick off at 2:30pm. The 3rd XV have no game.
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS
Membership subscriptions for 2014/15 are now overdue and payable and members are reminded that every effort should be made to make payment to Membership Secretary Jonny Ballagh as soon as possible. The Club is always looking for new members and, if you would like to join or, alternatively are an existing member who would like to pay by direct debit, the Membership Form is now available for download from the Club Website at www.pitchero.com/clubs/donaghadeerugbyclub
