Pictured: Dee RFC current MMW JNR Cup Champions – We will never forget that day, most memorable moment, the dee manager, age 58, wearing shorts on the touchline, it had snowed the day before i think, he had worn shorts to every game” #unforgettable.
Donaghadee were beaten on Saturday in the second round of the Millar McCall Wylie Junior Cup by an extremely strong Ballynahinch II side. With the Hinch 1st XV playing their Banbridge counterparts in the Ulster League on the upper pitch the Cup game took place on lower pitch in glorious autumn sunshine. Although the Dee support bemoaned the unavailability of skipper Alastair Lockhart, Richard Martindale and Billy Allen through illness and injury they were delighted to welcome back Rory Garnham and Ryan Irvine. The Dee opened the scoring with a penalty from Nigel Barker which was quickly cancelled out by Hinch right wing Michael Lawton. The Donaldson Park side went through their best phase of the match at this stage looking extremely dangerous utilising ruck and maul with Kalave Auali’itia and the back row of Chris Hamilton, Davy Thompson and Richard Millar regularly asking questions of the home defence. The Dee opened a seven point lead after Hamilton drove over the opposition line from a sustained maul with Barker adding the extras. Lawton and Barker then exchanged penalties before Lawton scored in the near right hand corner to bring the half time score to 13-11 in favour of the Dee. Donaghadee supporters looked forward to the second half with justified relish but unfortunately the extremely experienced Hinch side then upped their game considerably with Paddy James, Johnny Madden and Gavin Armstrong particularly prominent with the Dee struggling to impose their superiority of the first half. After some strong driving and team inter-play Lawton cut loose again entering the line to break a tiring Dee defence. Ballynahinch kicked a penalty and scored a converted try soon thereafter and with the Dee forced into playing catch-up rugby the home side capitalised open nature of the game to take advantage of the errors creeping into the Dee game to close the game out with a final score of 32-13. The Dee can take a lot from this game given the unavailability of key personnel and the presence of such quality players in the home line-up including, amongst others, the irrepressible Lawton who has starred in both of Ballynahinch’s All Ireland League games this season since his summer move from Dungannon and who scored a personal tally of 27 points in this particular contest.
The 2nd XV’s league game against Queens III was called off due to waterlogged pitches at Donaldson Park whilst the 3rd XV were extremely unlucky to lose out to a last minute try away to Grosvenor IV just being pipped by a margin of 23-17. Good day for Club stalwarts Jim McGrugan and Peter Walker whose respective sons Andy & Jack both put in extremely creditable performances for the Threes with the former scoring a brace of tries.
And so whilst the Junior Cup will not be decorating the Clubhouse for another season the 1st XV’s thoughts now turn back to the league and Cooke at Shaws Bridge next Saturday when the 3rd XV are also in action playing Belfast Harlequins away. On Friday night the Dee 2nd XV welcome their Bangor counterparts to Donaldson Park in a J3 game kick off 7:30pm. Support in all three games is most welcome.
The following week the Dee 1st XV make the long trip to North Mayo to take on Ballina in what will be the Donaldson Park men’s first foray into the All Ireland Junior Cup – of which more next week.
