Cookstown RFC began their league season with a disappointing defeat at the hands of country rivals Ballymena and thus ended their two year undefeated record at home. Although disappointed with the result, team captain Owen Mallon was encouraged by the team’s performance: ‘with a few of our boys being involved in upcoming GAA finals and the unavailability of others due to injuries and weddings, we were going into this game minus five first team regulars. However the boys that came into the side did themselves proud, they tackled well, ran with the ball well and certainly made their presence felt. However inexperience in certain sectors of the field gifted Ballymena penalties at crucial times, as a result we were chasing the game for most of the eighty minutes’.
The game opened with the two packs testing each other at scrum and lineout time; both sides lost their own put-ins on several occasions. The first three scores of the game from the boot of the Ballymena out half when Cookstown were penalised at the breakdown following some indecision in their own 22.
The first try of the day came as a costly result of a poor Cookstown error in the Ballymena 22. Following the award of a penalty, Cookstown elected to kick to touch. Unfortunately the ball was kicked dead behind the goal line and Ballymena were awarded a scrum. The away team then worked a well-rehearsed move which saw their forwards and backs combine to create space and send their winger over in the corner.
Into the second half and Cookstown applied some early pressure on the Ballymena line. A series of pick-and-go drives put Ballymena on the back foot and the space was duly exploited by Spud and Mickey McKeown who sent newcomer Eamon McElduff into the corner.
Cookstown’s second try came following some quick thinking by team captain Owen Mallon. Cookstown were awarded a penalty in the Cookstown 22, Mallon spotted a gap in the defence and tapped the ball and ran at the Ballymena defence. His pace sucked in two defenders, he then off loaded in the tackle to flying second row Martin Devlin who managed to elude three would-be tacklers before dotting down behind the posts.
Cookstown had hoped to build on these successful forages but again costly errors at lineout time and poor kick clearances saw the home side concede more points from the boot and trys. The rest of the game panned out with Ballymena using their experience to slow the game and frustrate the home side.
Ballymena greeted the full time whistle with loud cheers, knowing that they had avenged last year’s defeat to Cookstown in the semi-final of the Ravenhill Cup. Team: Liam Currie, Stephen Rea, Owen Mallon, Kevin McSorley, Martin Devlin, John McGurk, Martin Boone, JP Rab Reah, Dave Weir, Ciaran Mckenna. Conor Harte. Spud, Mickey McKeown. Eamon McElduff, Stephen Conway.
Cookstown’s next game is away to CIYMS in Belfast. Training continues on Wednesdays at the Mid Ulster Sports Arena. The club would like to thank Moe’s for hosting the post-game reception.
On another note Cookstown RFC went a man down on Saturday following a serious knee injury to Denver Nugent which resulted in him going down on one knee and coming up and engaged man. The club and team mates would like to congratulate their current Player of the year and look forward to the celebrations.
