City of Derry Rugby Club and Ballymena produced a game that eddied and flowed from start to finish in this S/Final of the Ulster First Trust Cup S/Final @ Judges Road Derry on Saturday last, The result was in doubt to the final whisle as a consequence of Derry coughing up two early converted tries in the first ten minutes and an intercept try just before half time to put them playing catch-up for the remainder of the game. Derry finished the game amid a whirlwind of pressure that saw them almost extract victory from the jaws of defeat as they had Ballymena on the rack in what was a memorable game.
The early pressure came from Ballymena as Derry naively tried to run the ball from inside their own twenty two meter line and quick turnover ball gave Daryl O’Kane the chance to storm over for a try on two minutes for a try that was converted by David O’Hara for a 7pts lead for Ballymena. The Eaton Park boys repeated the dose on ten minutes when Derry coughed up ball once more and out half Irwin ran a beautiful line to link up with the ubiquitous Andrew Kerr to score by the posts and with O’Hara converting once more Ballymena were leading by 14pts to nil.
Derry upped their game and Richard McCarter was unlucky on ten minutes from a penalty when his shot hit the posts. The Derry scrum dominated all through with Chris Shields, Sam McAuley and Sam Duffy supported by Brian Prue and David Houston gave their team the ascendancy in the set pieces. Derry produced on twenty minutes following a series of scrums and penalties where Stephen Corr, Mark Walker and the Man of the Match Richard Baird dominated for Baird to waltz over for an unconverted try to reduce the arrears for Derry to 5pts to 14 pts.
Derry were unfortunately to be caught off side on 31 minutes and David O’Hara kicked Ballymena into a 17pts to 5pts lead. The Derry scrum were the catalyst for the next score on 35 minutes where they dominated once more and with Ballymena infringing McCarter punished from 25meter to reduce the deficit to 17pts to 8pts for Ballymena. It was all Derry pressure now and it looked like another score as David Funston, Ryan Campbell, Chris Barber and the outstanding Mark Walker came close to crossing the Ballymena line. Derry went for jugular and were eventually turned over on the stroke of half time when attacking 5 meters from the Ballymena line they were turned over and Caolan Fitzpatrick Ran the length of the pitch to score a try which was converted by O’Hara to give Ballymena a 24pts to 8 pts lead at the break.
Derry started the second half in positive fashion and got themselves right back in the game on two minutes following a brilliant break by Richard Baird from the half way line which unlocked the Ballymena defence and when stopped 10 meter out Andrew Semple found Richard McCarter who ghosted in for a try which he converted himself from the corner to reduce the arrears to 13pts to 24pts. Derry’s undoing was their penalty’s conceded and O’Hara cashed in once again on 10 and 13 minutes to increase Ballymena’s lead to 30pts to 13pts.
Derry turned down a penalty shot on 15 minutes for a scrum 20 meters out which came to nothing and it was tem minutes later before the game was put right back in the melting pot when Richard McCarter intercepted inside his own half to run 60meters for a try in the corner once again which he converted himself to put Derry right back in the game losing by 20pts to 30pts. Derry infringed again on 30 minutes and gave O’Hara a simple chance to increase Ballymena’s lead to 33pts to 20pts.
Derry to their credit were down but not out and back they came with a band storming finish that almost snatched victory from the jaws of defeat when on the stroke of fulltime Baird drove from a scrum 15meters out and with Ballymena in reverse McCarter got in for a try which he converted himself to leave the score at 33pts to 27pts for Ballymena. Injury time beckoned and it was all Derry pressure for the next seven minutes and with Ballymena on the ropes a gallant Judges Road outfit threw everything at the opposition with gay abandon but were unable to get the points needed for victory in what was an outstanding game of rugby football.
City of Derry Team: : Chris Shields, Sam McAuley Sam Duffy, David Houston, Brian Prue, Stephen Corr, Mark Walker, Richard Baird, Andrew Semple, Richard McCarter, Josh Lewis, Ryan Campbell, David Founston, David Graham. Replacements: Gareth Beattie, Cathal Creggan, Bob McKillop, Stephen Ferguson, Richard Peoples.
