Nutty Krust U18 Tournament Portadown v Ballymena Report 11th March 2015
The first of the 2015 Nutty Krust quarter-final games took place under the floodlights at Chamber’s Park when Portadown U18’s played Ballymena U18’s. It was the first game for Portadown in this season’s tournament with Ballymena making a welcome return following their Round 1 victory against Larne.
The scene was set for an entertaining game and what a game it turned out to be. The score was 24-24 at the final whistle but Portadown went through to the semi-final as they had scored the first try of the game.
Ballymena started strongly and pressurised the Portadown defence. The Portadown defence held firm and the only chances the Ballymena team got to put points on the board came from penalty opportunities. The Ballymena boys wanted to play with the ball in their hands and went for the lineout option on a number of occasions.
Midway through the first half the Portadown fortunes changed when Conor Megarrity made a great midfield break from his full back position. He found Josh Grant running a clever support line which Josh finished off with a try. Niall Davidson added the conversion to put the Portadown team into a 7-0 lead.
Three minutes later the same player made a superb from his own half which finished when he was halted seven metres from the try line by a high tackle. The resultant penalty was taken quickly and Ruari Quinn finished of the attack with an unconverted try to put the home team into a 12-0 lead.
Close to the interval Conor Megarrity fielded a loose Ballymena kick and launched a counter attack. He off loaded to the supporting James Wright who threw a deft pass to Niall Davidson. Despite having a three man overlap Niall outwitted the Ballymena defence and touched down for a try which he converted to put his team into a 19-0 lead.
Ballymena then launched a series of attacks on the Portadown line forcing the Portadown team to concede penalties. The Ballymena team kept playing down the touchline and got rewarded for their enterprise when Dylan Hacine-Bacha took advantage of a well–organised driven maul and touched down for a try. Conor McNeill added the extras to reduce the arrears to 19-7 at the interval.
Ballymena started the second half as they finished the first—on the attack. They forced the Portadown team into conceding more penalties, one of which Conor McNeill converted to leave the scoreboard reading 19-10.
Then Dylan Hacine-Bacha scorched through some weak Portadown defence to run in for a try which Conor McNeill converted. With the deficit now reduced to 19-17 there was a nervous look about the Portadown team. They had a golden opportunity to calm those nerves when, midway through the second half, they created a four man overlap only to drop the ball with the Ballymena line at their mercy.
Ballymena then mounted a series of attacks in the Portadown “Red Zone” but the home defence managed to keep the line intact. That was until Jonny Crooks managed to outpace the Portadown defence and touch down for a try with just a few minutes remaining. Conor McNeill converted the try to give his Ballymena team a 24-19 lead.
Now it was the turn of Portadown to up the ante. They pressurised the Ballymena defence into giving away a series of penalties close to their try line. Eventually the constant pressure proved too much for the Ballymena defence and Jamie Dickson blasted his way over the line for a try. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful and the game finished with a 24-24 draw. However, it was the Portadown team that scored the first try of this seven try thriller and, as such, they progress into the draw for the Nutty Krust semi-finals which will be held on April 1st.
Following the game Clive Bowles, Manager of the Ulster U19 team, presented the Man of the Match Award to the Portadown open-side flanker, James Wright.
The second quarter-final of the 2015 Nutty Krust U18 Tournament will take place at 7-45pm on Wednesday 18th March when Malone RFC U18’s will play Dromore RFC U18’s.
