City of Derry 2nds and Queens 2nds shared 10 tries and 76 points in a game that ebbed and flowed and ended in a rare high scoring draw at 38pts all. Derry started as they finished in their previous game against Dungannon being patient and building 10 phases straight from the kick off which led to a try for Gareth Beattie after 3 minutes. Phil Duffy added the touchline conversion for a 7pts lead.
The lead was short lived as Queens scored a converted try of their own on 13 minutes to level the score at 7pts all. Derry then took control of the game and scored 3 more trys before half time from Johnny Lyons, Ryan Scott and Robbie Logue, two of which were converted by Philip Duffy. Queens retorted with two penalties from their out half to leave the half time score 26pts to 13pts for the home team.
Queens scored first in the second half through a penalty after four minutes when Derry infringed at a ruck. Queens continued to control the half as the Derry team seemed to lose all sense of team play, missed tackles and butchered two clear try scoring opportunities. Two converted trys in quick succession from the students without reply saw them take the lead at 30pts to 26pts midway through the half.
Queens were reduced to 14 men when their prop had to leave the field with a dislocated finger resulting in the scrums going ‘uncontested’. With the extra man advantage Derry got things back on track and scored two trys on 26 and 30 minutes from Beattie, his second of the game which was converted by Duffy and the other try came from Blair to regain the lead for the Judges Road men at 38pts to 30pts.
With 5 mnutes remaining a speculative kick from Queens was fielded by Derry who tried to run out of defence. Unfortunately for Derry the Queens kick chase was good and they tackled winger Taylor. The Derry support was slow to arrive and the students turned the ball over and their centre ran in for a try to leave the game poised at 38pts to 35pts for Derry with minutes remaining.
It looked as if the 14 men of Queens were going to claim the points when their winger touched down in the corner only for the try to be disallowed when he was judged to have put a foot in touch in the in goal area,
With the last play of the game the Students were attacking just outside the home ‘22’ and Derry gave away a penalty for a deliberate knock on. The Queens out half stepped up and slotted his 7th successful kick of the day to leave the final score tied at 38pts all.
This was a disappointing result for Derry in a ‘game of two halves’ for the home team appeared to have the game sewn up at half time. In the first half Derry played well, working hard at building phases in a structured performance but after the break the work rate dropped and poor defence contributed to them allowing Queens to score 25 points in the half, most of which they played with only 14 men and earn a draw.
City of Derry 2nd XV play Enniskillen in the Towns Cup semi final on the 16th March at Judges Road. Derry will need to work hard over the next two weeks at training if they are to capitalise on a home draw that will give them an excellent opportunity of making the final on Eater Monday at Ravenhill.
