City of Derry Rugby Club remain undefeated in all competitions after coming from behind to beat a dogged Banbridge team in the All Ireland League on Saturday last at Judges Road.
Derry were thirteen points to nil in arrears at the beginning of the second half and Banbridge were asking serous questions of the League Leaders. Bevan Lynch’s men produced a power packed last thirty minutes under the inspirational leadership of their Captain Sam McAuley who came on as a sub and scored two try’s to keep his team still top of AIL Division 3 by two points with all teams having played three games.
Banbridge came to Derry to avenge the heavy defeat they suffered in the Ulster Senior League at home when Derry were victorious by 50pts to 7pts at the end of August. They had a game play that came courtesy of their coaches Daniel Soper and former Irish International Simon Best. Banbridge were determined to deny Derry quality possession, slow the game down and kill the ball at the breakdown. This they did successfully in the first half and with possession equally shared they also scored a try courtesy of winger Andrew Morrison which was converted by Robin Thompson after twelve minutes for a 7pts to nil lead.
The big Banbridge pack which was well marshalled by their Captain Simon McKinstry were frustrating the home side and their supporters. Bann increased their lead on thirty minutes when Derry infringed at the breakdown and Thompson kicked the resultant penalty to give his side a 10pts to nil lead which they carried to the break. Derry suffered a blow just before half time when influential scrum half Andrew Semple was sin binned for ten minutes.
Banbridge started the second half in positive mode and increased their lead to 13pts when Thompson kicked another penalty after another Derry infringed at the breakdown. Semple returned to the fray just before the ten minute mark and immediately brought structure and urgency to Derry’s play. Semple released David Funston who made the incisive break inside the Banbridge half before releasing his centre partner Simon Logue who cleverly beat the last man to score a try which Richard Peoples converted to leave his team trailing by 13pts to 7pts.
Sam McAuley had come on for Derry to replace Stephen Duffy at hooker and made an immediate impact. The Derry pack with Stephen Ferguson, Peter Corr, Tom Patton and Bob McKillop making the hard yards set up a series of mauls with McAuley eventually peeling off the side to touch down for an unconverted try to reduce the deficit to 13pts to 12pts with thirteen minutes gone. Banbridge made a rare visit to the Derry half on fifteen minutes and Thompson dropped a goal to increase his teams lead to 16 pts to 12pts.
City of Derry were now beginning to hit top stride and with the breakdown speeding up and a dominant pack the backs began to show their true class. With seventeen minutes gone the centre partnership of Logue and Funston created the opening after quick recycling from the pack and McAuley was again in the right place to touchdown for an unconverted try to put Derry in front for the first time in the game by 17pts to 16pts.
Derry got their fourth try after twenty five minutes when winger William McCleery who was having his best game so far touched down for an unconverted try which gave his team the bonus point and a 22pts to 16pts lead. The Derry pack were the architects of Derry’s fifth try on thirty minutes when David Witherow and Sam Duffy along with McAuley made ground and David Houston touched down for a try which was converted by Peoples and Derry were pulling away from Banbridge and lead by 29pts to 16pts.
Derry brought on their remaining bench players and following a charge down on thirty five minutes Richard Baird scored a try for Derry which Richard Peoples converted to leave Derry winning by 36pts to16pts. City of Derry Coach Bevan Lynch said after the match “Banbridge frustrated us in the first half and we found it hard to get any patterns going. We have to live with our elevated status as league leaders and it’s a back handed complement to our players that teams try to slow play and kill the game to negate our attacking prowess. It was a real test of character for our boys as it’s a long time since we found ourselves 13pts to nil down. We will store up the experience for future occasions and move on. We were delighted today to get David Funston back on the pitch following a long injury.
His Man of the Match performance showed what we have been missing for the last month. We still have a numbers of players out injured some long term and some whose comebacks are imminent. We travel to Greystones next week and the challenges ahead will get harder in the run into the Christmas break”.
City of Derry Team: : David Witherow, Stephen Duffy, Sam Duffy, Bob McKillop, David Houston, Stephen Corr, Tom Patton, Stephen Ferguson, Andrew Semple, Richard Peoples, William McCleery, Ryan Campbell, Simon Logue, David Murdock, Peter Henderson. Replacements: Sam McAuley, Chris Shields, Richard Baird, Jack Caithness, Ritchie McMaster.
Report by Moss Dineen.
