Powerful Portadown profit from poor performance by Roger Corbett
A powerful Portadown side gained revenge for their defeat by Bangor in the Junior Cup last season by taking advantage of the home team’s poor performance and deservedly finishing ahead by 24-43.
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With a number of changes to the side that did so well against Dromore last week, a young Bangor side got this second round Junior Cup fixture underway. The playing conditions were good, with the breeze blowing across the pitch and not benefiting either side. From the outset, Portadown played the game at a fast pace, and pushed Bangor back into their own half for long periods. Both sides, however, made many unforced errors and as a result promising attacks were halted.
After 10 minutes of play, it was Bangor who got the scoreboard started, when Portadown conceded a penalty for being offside and Mark Thompson converted the kicking opportunity. Portadown then resumed their attacks and it looked like they would score next. However, from a lineout on the Portadown twenty two, the ball was taken by Freddie Black before the rest of the pack formed around him and started to drive for the line. The rolling maul moved slowly forwards and sideways until one final push saw captain Jamie Clegg carried over to score to the right of the Portadown posts. The conversion by Neil Cuthbertson was successful and Bangor were now 10-0 ahead.
Even an impartial observer might have commented that this score was against the run of play, but to Bangor’s credit they took their chances well. Unfortunately, just 5 minutes later Bangor were reduced to 14 men after Black was yellow carded. From the resulting penalty, Portadown kicked for touch, and secured the ball from the lineout. They patiently worked the ball through their forwards until a gap opened up in the Bangor defence, allowing an easy run through to score under the Bangor posts. With the conversion, the score was now 10-7.
With only a few minutes of the first half remaining, Portadown continued to push forward and from a good cross field kick, they took advantage of the reduced Bangor cover and scored in the left hand corner. The tricky kick into the wind was successful, and Portadown were now in front by 10-14. To add to Bangor’s woes, scrum half Danny Diamond had to retire injured with what looks like a broken collar bone, and front row forward Phil Whyte limped off with a bad calf injury – we wish both a full and speedy recovery. Undeterred, Bangor tried to fight back and came very close in the final minute when more good forward play got the ball over the Portadown line, but it wasn’t able to be grounded.
As the teams turned around, Bangor would probably have been the happier with the scoreline, especially given the amount of possession Portadown had enjoyed in the first half. However, over the course of the following 20 odd minutes, and largely as a result of their own mistakes, their task became much harder. It started with another poor Bangor lineout which Portadown won and simply broke through to score in the right hand corner. The kick was good, extending the lead to 10-21. Then Bangor lost the ball in contact in the centre of the pitch, allowing the Portadown backline to quickly move the ball wide to their winger who rounded the Bangor defence to score under the posts.
Finally, from their scrum, Portadown took advantage of some missed tackles to open up a gap and score again under the Bangor posts. The score was now 10-35, and Bangor had a mountain to climb.
If the game looked lost at this point, nobody had obviously told Jamie Clegg. From Mark Thompson’s restart, Clegg ran in pursuit and managed to snatch the ball from the Portadown receiving player. He then had just enough time to pass outside to Neil Cuthbertson who managed to negotiate 3 Portadown defenders to score, and reduce the deficit to 17-35, with 26 minutes gone.
Shortly afterwards, the Portadown hooker was yellow carded. However, instead of capitalising on this advantage, Bangor then conceded another penalty, this time in front of their posts. The Portadown kicker gratefully took the 3 points, making the score 17-38.
It was around this point that it was starting to look like Portadown were paying the price for their furious onslaught in the first half. Bangor sensed the weakness and started to play their best rugby of the game so far. Patient build-ups by the forwards, accompanied by strong runs from the backs, produced the opportunity for full back Davy Charles to dive under his tacklers to score beside the posts. Cuthbertson’s quick kick was good, and the score was now 24-38.
As the final play approached, and the end result no longer in question, yet another lineout mix-up gave Portadown possession again. With the Bangor defence largely flat footed, Portadown cut through and, despite a desperate covering tackle by Charles, touched down for the final score of the game. Although the kick was missed, Portadown’s victory was by an emphatic 24-43 margin.
This young Bangor side can learn much from their older, wiser opponents. While fitness and commitment is not in question, consistency of technique in basic set pieces, and retention of the ball when in contact would need to improve, or at least return to levels seen in earlier games. While the disappointment of an early exit from the Junior Cup cannot be denied, the focus will now be wholly on returning to success in the league, the next fixture being a home meeting with Cooke.
Bangor side: P Whyte (P Dornan), A Jackson, J Harrison, R Meeke, F Black, M Coey, J Clegg (c), C Stewart, D Diamond (P Nicol), M Thompson, M Widdowson, M Aspley, M Weir, N Cuthbertson, D Charles
Subs: P Nicol, P Dornan
Bangor scores: J Clegg (1T), N Cuthbertson (1T), D Charles (1T), M Thompson (1P, 3C)
Touch for a veteran! image
That’s touch rugby of course…
We have a good number of club members who, although their competitive rugby days are some years behind them, still enjoy taking an active part in the game.
If you’re a past or present club member who would like to join in an informal game of touch rugby, the veterans meet each Thursday at 7pm (if they remember) at Upritchard Park.
Anybody interested should come along – you’ll be made very welcome.
