High School go down fighting!
Harsh lessons learned as PSNI win in Greenisland
Belfast High school Former Pupils School lost 22 – 15 to a very rugged and head strong PSNI team featuring former high school player Gary Allen.
Psni got off to a good start with a penalty on 15 minutes when high school where penalised for off side at the breakdown. 3 nil PSNI.
High school hit back with a try from No. 8 Bryan McGreal, from a PSNI scrum on their own 5m line, BHSFP drove them off their own ball and Bryan rumbled over from all of 3m. Steven Heasley missed the conversion but soon made up for it when High school extended their lead by 3 points when they converted a penalty coming from a PSNI infringement in the middle of the field. High school 8 – 3. PSNI Levelled the score on 35minutes when their wing forward waltzed past the school defence and then took the lead when they added the conversion
Half Time score: BHSGFP RFC 8 – 10 PSNI.
PSNI started the second half quicker, and got back on the score sheet with an unconverted try when their open side winger breezed down the sideline from a scrum set piece move to score in the corner. PSNI completed their scoring route with 20minutes to go when second row for crashed over to make the score 22 – 8.
High school finally lifted the tempo of the game with 12 minutes to go. A series of quickly taken penalties resulted in veteran prop Brian McKernon barging his way over from 1m to give high school the a life line. Wing forward Heasley converted to bring the score 22 – 15. Sustained pressure from high school, saw them encamped in the PSNI 22′ but they could not convert the pressure despite the high number of penalties PSNI were conceding. The final action of the game saw a quick tap penalty by high school moved wide with fullback, Lord William of Cruickshank kicking through only for his chase to be impeded by the psni defence. Unfortunately the ref missed this final indiscretion and the ball was cleared into touch to the sound of the final whistle.
Final score BHSFP RFC 15 – PSNI RFC 22
After a good performance last week and a decent final 20mins today BHSFP will have to put the effort in at training this week to ensure they start with the type of intensity they know they are capable of.
