Ballymoney RFC 1st XV won back the Tweed Cup and 4 league points with a 25-12 home victory over neighbours Coleraine. Match Report Below.
The 2nd XV without a number of regular players lost 12-0 away to Coleraine 2nd XV, which was only their second defeat of the season.
The 3rd XV produced their best performacne this season to date with a home victory over Coleraine 4th XV.
The 4th XV continued their good results this season with an away win against Ophir 2nd XV.
The U19’s couldnt build on their win against Ballymena U19 and were beaten by Larne away.
The 5th XV match was cancelled on Saturday and will be rearranged at a later date.
Pictured is John Richmond receiving his Man of the Match award for his performance against Coleraine on Saturday from award sponsor Richard Dickson. Also pictured is Club Captain James Cleland being presented the Tweed Cup from Bill Tweed’s Grandson.
Qualifying League Section 1
Ballymoney 25 v 12 Coleraine 1
29 Oct 2011
Ballymoney RFC 1st XV welcomed neighbours Coleraine to Kilraughts Road on Saturday for a Qualifying League One match was doubled up also as the annual Tweed Cup game. After a close start Ballymoney ran out eventual winners with a final score of 25 -12.
The game kicked off in relatively good conditions with Coleraine playing with win advantage toward the clubhouse. Ballymoney were keen to start the game off with good pace and this eagerness resulted in an early mistake as they were penalised for being in front of the kicker. Andrews for Coleraine converted the kick from the half way line to give Coleraine a 3 point lead in the first minute.
Ballymoney were penalised again on half way for not binding in a scrum. Once again Andrews slotted over to increase the lead to 6 points. Most of the first 10 minutes were played in mid field as both teams tried to get to grips with each others defence. Ballymoney tried to move the ball while Coleraine
game plan was to use the wind and kick the ball deep. One such kick paid off when toon second row Clyde was penalised just outside his 22 for not releasing at the tackle. Once again Andrews converted to put Coleraine to lead 0-9.
The first attack into the Coleraine half seen Ballymoney awarded a penalty for Coleraine being offside at a ruck. McCartney showed his kicking form of recent games by slotting it over to get Ballymoney on the score board at 15minute mark to take the score to 3-9. However the lead was short lived as Coleraine were awarded another penalty on half way for Ballymoney coming in from the side at a ruck. Once more Andrews landed the kick to extend the Coleraine lead to 3-12. This however would be the last points that Coleraine would score as Ballymoney started to put their phases of play together.
From building pressure in the Coleraine half Ballymoney started to get the penalties awarded as Coleraine found it hard to cope with the more physical toon forwards. Cormac McCartney kicked another penalty to close the gap to 6-12 with 25 minutes gone. Then from a penalty Captain Cleland kicked to the corner and from the line out the Ballymoney forward drove to the Coleraine line. Good communication saw flanker Surgenor crash over for the first try of the game. The conversion when wide but Coleraine’s lead was now reduced to one point with score now at 11-12.
The final 10 minutes of the half was played in the Coleraine half with Ballymoney now putting the visitors under pressure as their forward and backs linked well. When Coleraine did get the ball the solid defence mean they had little option but to kick. The pack also reduced the pressure with a number of key turnovers at the ruck and steels at the lineout. Momentum was temporary broke as Clyde had to leave the pitch for a injury to his back and was replaced by Danny Platt. The last play of the game say Ballymoney convert another penalty for a Coleraine infringement to end the half in the lead 14-12.
The start of the second half say Ballymoney put Coleraine under alot of pressure as they continued to move the ball. However Coleraine defended their line well as Richmond and Chris Watson went close to scoring. The toon men had to settle for another penalty which McCartney converted to extend their lead to 17-12. Hanna then had to leave the pitch with a injury and was replaced by Ramage which meant tight head prop Houston had to fill into the Second Row. The fact that the two Ballymoney line out jumpers were off the pitch and they were now playing with 3 props in the forwards didn’t halt the toons play.
The backrow of Richmond, Campbell and Surgenor were dominating their opposite numbers and Henderson at 10 was becoming impossible to get past as he tackled everything. With 20 minutes to go the game was won by the home team as Chris Watson who was only playing his second game for the club at centre changing from his normal wing position scored an excellent individual try. He received the pass from Henderson just inside the Coleraine half and spun out of the first tackle only to see space open up in front of him as he threw the dummy pass which caught out the visitors. He broke the cover tackle and sprinted in to score a good try and extend the lead to 22-12.
Ballymoney added another penalty with 10 minutes to play, which turned out to be the last points scored of the game as McCartney slotted it over to take Ballymoney’s score to 25-12. Coleraine introduced ex Ballymoney player Tommy Van Wyk who’s introduction seemed to install some pace into the Coleraine backline as they started to move the ball. However any pressure was dealt with by the back row of Richmond, Campbell and Surgenor. The back three for Ballymoney stopped two try scoring chances as the Coleraine scrum half Simpson broke the toon defence but McCartney tackled him on the 5 metre line and Captain Cleland covered back to win the penalty for holding on the ground.
With 5minutes to go Hall broke the line and drew McCartney to pass to Van Wyk but a great cover tackle by Ewan Strang stopped another try scoring chance. Breaks from Richmond and Watson kept the play in the Coleraine half. Platt came close again but was held up over the line only for the final whistle to blew for the end of the game and allow Ballymoney to lift the Tweed cup and return it back to the Toon.
Team: Bartlett, Irvine, Houston, Clyde, Hanna, Surgenor, D Campbell, Richmond, Nelson, Henderson, J Campbell, C Watson, Cleland (c), Strang, McCartney, Ramage, Platt.
Man of the Match: John Richmond
