SECONDS FIND ARMAGH TOO STRONG
Last Saturday was a quiet day at the Cloughan as none of the Ballyclare Rugby teams had a home game. In fact the only club side in action was the Seconds who were away to probably the top team in Junior 1– Armagh 2nds and Michael Stevenson`s men lost 38-15.
On Saturday morning all the Clare youth sides were at home to their Rainey O.B. counterparts. In the league the Under19XV had a 19-5 win which could have been by a greater margin but for a score of second half penalties against them. Ballyclare`s Under 17 team won 6-5; the Under 15s lost 24-22 and the Under 13s lost 25-0.
ARMAGH 2nds 38 BALLYCLARE 2nds 15
The Seconds had to start with fourteen players as prop Birkmyre was late in arriving and Armagh took an early 7-0 lead inside four minutes. They dominated play with a very fit and mobile pack which helped to bring them two more tries plus a penalty. The Clare side replied with a penalty by James Jackson so it was Armagh who led 23-3 at the interval.
Ballyclare did come more into the game in the second half but were still often on the back foot . From a lineout Chris Coburn drove over to score near the corner but the side lost Stuart Cusack injured and Armagh added three more tries as they remained on top . The visitors did show up more strongly in the last quarter but were too far behind . They hed a late try from scrum half Andy Watson who converted it for a final score of 38-15. According to skipper Stevenson only Scrum half Watson and back row man Coburn were among the very few Clare players to have stood out in a tough battle.
UNDER 19 LEAGUE SUCCESS
The Under 19 team continued their good run in this league game against Rainey at the Cloughan on Saturday morning.Despite playing into the wind in the first half from an early short penalty by Beasant it was Chris Gawn who went in at the corner to take a 5-0 lead. Next a break by Lewis Campbell enabled the pack to drive for the Rainey line and Wallace was held up. Again from a short penalty taken by Beasant Jack Bowers raced in to get atry which was converted by Chris Harvey to go 12-0 up at half-time .
Early in the second half a great drive from the pack saw Wallace fail to get a pass away despite having two men on the outside and he was stopped. A strong run by Harvey led to a short penalty from which Wallace was halted. However the pressure from the stronger home pack had to tell and eventually Bowers got in to score with Harvey adding the points. This took the Clare lads into a 19-0 lead and really it could have been even more.Mark Wright stood out in the centre but Jonny Gillen was very unlucky to be yellow carded though Rainey also had a man similarly out of the game.Another run from Gawn almost led to a score but in the last ten minutes the referee awarded a whole series of penalties to a rather lack lustre Rainey team and at the end they got aconsolation try despite what looked like a forward pass. This left the score 19-5 to Ballyclare and still unbeaten with tougher tests to come.
SATURDAY LEAGUE FIXTURES
1st XV v Donaghadee (away); 2nd XV v Clogher Valley 2nds (home); 3rd XV v Ballymoney 3rds (away); 4th XV v Academy 3rds (home)
