Despite Donegal II XV visited Limepark Armoy on Saturday looking to disrupt Armoy’s league title dreams. With Armoy 4 points ahead of their closest rivals and with potentially another match to play ,a win was vital for them to secure the league crown.
As Donegall stepped of their team bus Armoy captain Gareth Christie knew that this Donegall side were mostly not the same team that Armoy had brushed aside in Donegall some months earlier in the season.
Straight from the kick off it was the visitors who attacked their hosts and kept them in the own half for long periods due to the nervy start that the Armoy players were having.
However, the home side rode out the storm and after 10 minutes started to assert themselves into the match. Again as usual the Armoy pack were dominant at scrum time and this was the platform from which they would get their first score. A ball from the base of the scrum was fed down the back line to centre John Cassely from the resulting ruck the ball was popped to onrushing no 8 Stevie Bartlett who crashed over the line. The conversion was planted sweetly over the bar by jarvis Traynor.
Armoy now had the bit between their teeth and immediatley set about looking for more points. Again good play from the forwards led to a good move through the backs taking Armoy just shy of the goal line. this time the pop pass was given to out half Barry Kelly who crashed over for the score. Conversion unsuccesful.
To their credit Donegall did not let their heads go down but reasserted themselves and were soon rewarded with a penalty in front of the Armoy posts which was easily converted by their out half.
This gave them more confidence and their renewed belief and led to their first try. From a line out Armoy secured the ball which was fed out to the backs inside their own 22. The ball was spilled and a quick thinking Dongall back hacked the ball on. The resulting foot race had only one winner as the donegall player fell on the ball for a try which was converted.
Half Time Armoy 12- Donegall II 10
Right from the kick off the Donegall pack pressurised forcing some loose play from Armoy. This pressure resulted in a penalty which was dispatched with great aplomb by the Donegall out half. With Donegall now in the asendancy and Armoy becoming increasingly nervy that the league may be slipping away from them Donegall used this to their advantage. From a ruck inside the Armoy 22 which had been secured by Armoy the ball was somehow scooped out on the Donegall side. With the Armoy players waiting in bewilderment for a referees whistle for hands in the ruck Donegall rightly carried on as no whistle came and their out half strode in for a score under the posts which he converted.
After a rousing expiletive ridden piece of motivation from Armoy captain Gareth Christie, Armoy seemed to wake up and started to play the kind of rugby that had served them so well all season.It was not long before they were back scoring. This time a series of barging runs and rucks tired out the Donegall defence and with them stretched a fast flowing back move led to the ball reaching winger Enda Casey who raced into the Donegall goal area like a mad Giraffe and under the posts for a score.Converted by Traynor..
With Armoy still a point behind another score was needed. It wasn’t long until it arrived and again it was Enda Casey who scored. This time a back move was given to Enda who still had a good bit of work to do. He broke the inital tackle and raced to the corner. Donegall defenders scurried back and managed to stop him just short of the line but Enda used his height advantage and stretched out his arm and placed the ball down for the score in the corner.Again Jarvis was on the money with a great conversion wide out.
Again though Donegall were trying to spoil the party and were awarded an easily kickable penalty which narrowed the margin between the teams to 3 points with only 5 minutes to go. Armoy were again getting nervy and with barely 2 minutes on the clock Donegall were awarded another penalty inside the Armoy 22 on the 15 meter line. The out half again stepped up and kicked for goal. This time the ball sailed wide and Armoy managed to see the match out without too much further distress. Final score Armoy 26 Donegall II 23
On hearing the final whistle every Armoy player raisedd their arms and cheered with a mixture of elation and relief. They were Ulster Minor League North Champions for season 2010/11 there will be a goods night craic at their end of season dinner on 16/04, although their season won’t be finished by then as they now wait to see who they face in the semi final of the Ravenhill cup.
