A few of the Donaghadee rugby supporters travelling to Lisburn last Saturday may have thought that on such a perfect rugby day the odds would be on a win for the seasiders – especially with Lisburn being in mid-table and Donaghadee in second place in Ulster’s Qualifying League Two.
At the excellent lunch before the game the Lisburn Club Council congratulated Donaghadee upon their 125 years in rugby football and presented Club President Bill Boomer with a new, but historic, aerial photograph of Ireland’s new ground at Lansdowne Road.
CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES
For the first fifteen minutes of the game all the play was in the Lisburn half. However, the home side’s line was not really threatened, although newcomer to the team, Colin Smyth, did have an impressive run through the middle of the defence without the ultimate success that for a moment had looked likely. Because of their desperation defence, Lisburn were penalised twice just on half-way. Into a breeze stiffer than it looked, both kicks fell just short. The referee was still not happy and gave a third penalty, but this time ten or fifteen metres closer, and Richard Millar sent it high and handsome over the Lisburn crossbar for first blood to Donaghadee.
A few minutes later some Lisburn resolve took them into Donaghadee’s half for the first time, and to the consternation of the Dee players, an equalizing penalty kick. This led to some good work by the Lisburn pack and serious pressure on the Donaghadee defence. A brief lack of discipline gave Lisburn three more kicks at goal towards the end of the first half. The first just missed, the second bounced out high off the crossbar and the third behaved itself well enough to go over for a 6-3 Lisburn lead and some food for thought for Donaghadee as they entered the interval.
Donaghadee are not very well used to being behind this season, but with the wind now on their backs they must have been fairly optimistic as they started the new half. However it was actually Lisburn who looked the more determined as the new half began. Their outside-half Crothers and full-back Finlay made some penetrating runs, but Donaghadee’s defence was able to snuff out any threat they posed. But spectators could sense that the Dee men were growing stronger by the minute, and Lisburn’s defence was under serious pressure. Donaghadee captain Chris Good asked for even greater effort by his forwards – and got it. The set pieces of scrum and line-out had been secure all day, but now came the rolling maul. With the power of Donaghadee’s front five, the wise head of Davy Thompson visible in the driving seat and the mobile back row of Stuart Hutchinson and the two Hamiltons, Chris and Paul, the Donaghadee eight chose to take Lisburn’s pack for a walk upfield a few times.
With Lisburn’s earlier organisation now put under serious pressure from the infantry, it was time for General Good to unleash his cavalry. Out on the left flank Billy Allen and Rory Garnham came close, but when they were stopped the referee took play back to mid-field for an offside-penalty kick for Donaghadee, and Millar and his team-mates settled for a goal that brought the teams level at 6-6. This was not to last long. A rush of blood to the head led to a penalty for Lisburn that they gratefully converted to regain the lead.
It is a measure of the well-founded confidence this Donaghadee team has that although now on the wrong side of the scoreline they continued to play with style and determination. A long restart kick from Monson worked well for Donaghadee and his nicely weighted chip to the left corner sat up nicely for the chasing Dee runners.
Perhaps Garnham had been geed up by his earlier near-miss, but whatever it was, Donaghadee’s flying left-winger, without ever taking his eye off the skittering ball, judged his lightning run to perfection to give his team the stirring try they had been seeking – and a score of 11-9. Although the conversion was missed, the now-rampant Donaghadee were not to be denied further success. When a good Lisburn scrum won them the ball, Donaghadee’s heavy brigade once again asserted their superiority by shoving their opposing eight right back over the ball. The players were probably imagining a stylish score if possible, but all sports players know the expression ”they all count.” A huge fly kick on half-way from Alistair Lockhart took the ball and all thirty players right to the Lisburn line, and from the ruck the same player did one of his subterranean turns to find the gap that gave his side a further 5 points and the kick another two, making the game score 18-9.
One of the better measures recently introduced to Rugby Union has been the bonus point for scoring four tries, and suddenly Donaghadee were in a position to think about gaining the two tries they could perhaps use later in the season. Was there time for two more now that Donaghadee had established so much authority? The Donaghadee forwards, as forwards do, had now determined who was going to win, and the other half of this old rugby mantra is that it is the backs who decide by how many. The pack soon presented their backs with a good opportunity, and boy, did they take it. Good fast hands and seriously dangerous running first made the ground and then Garnham, having a day out with his pace and penetration, finished it. Lisburn’s defence simply could not stop him and he went over out left.
With the score now 23-9 and three tries in the referee’s notebook, the last few minutes were about Donaghadee striving for their fourth crossing of the goal-line. Although Lisburn were now a beaten side, this brought the very best out of them and they kept Donaghadee out until the final whistle. So, no cigar for Donaghadee, but a solid win, a strong and impressive show of force by the forwards and some resolute running by the backs had stirred the spectators and turned the team’s attention to the next hurdle in their ambitious season – the trip to Coleraine to play the students at UUC.
For all those intending to travel next Saturday (12 March) Coleraine University have contacted DRFC offering the use of their facilities at the university where the Dee supporters can watch the Wales v. Ireland game that is scheduled to kick off at 5.00pm.
Donaghadee team: Billy Allen, Chris McGivern, Richard Millar, Colin Smyth, Rory Garnham, Andy Monson, Alistair Lockhart: Chris Good (c), Gareth Gordon, Chris Schofield, David Thompson, Richard Martindale, Stuart Hutchinson, Chris Hamilton and Paul Hamilton.
GOOD WIN FOR DONAGHADEE SECONDS
BELFAST HIGH SCHOOL 15 – DONAGHADEE 37
This was a comprehensive win for Donaghadee with a young team lead by the elder statesmen Andrew Dunn & Nick Lord. The game had a slow start from both sides with a number of handling errors. However the Dee side settled into a pattern with the pack dominating the set piece, this resulted in two tries and a penalty before half-time. The second half saw a recovery from BHSFP which scored two tries in reply. However some quick running from Andrew Cash resulting in his and Donaghadee’s third try.
With the back of the game now broken and fatigue setting in among the opposition, the younger Dee side took control and finished off much the stronger with a winning margin of 37-15.
Donaghadee’s try scorers were: Andrew Cash (3), Adam Rodgers (1), Anthony Bunting (1), and the kicks were converted by Mark Cooper.
Donaghadee Seconds’ team: Steven Garret, Anthony Bunting, Ryan Doherty, Adam Rodgers, Andrew Cash, Mark Cooper, Nick Lord, Kyle Morrow, Andrew Dunn (c), Paul Ferguson, Andrew Donaldson, Phil Collins, Garth Bennet, Phil McCaughey and Adam Torrens.
The coaches and management at Donaghadee are delighted to see a few senior schoolboys turning up at Donaghadee on Tuesday and Thursday evenings now that their competitive schools’ season is completed. Any similarly rugby-minded lads are more than welcome to attend at Donaldson park for training etc. any Tuesday or Thursday at 7.00pm.
This Saturday
As indicated above, Donaghadee’s First XV play UUC next Saturday in Coleraine (12 March), the Second XV are at home to Ballymoney III and the Thirds host Ophir III at Donaldson Park – all games to kick-off at 2.30pm. Also, for those who like an atmosphere for a game, the Wales v. Ireland match is scheduled to kick off at 5.00pm on Saturday and will be on the big screen in the Donaghadee clubhouse. The Ireland v. England game will be screened the following week, same 5.00pm kick-off time.
For Your Diary
Like many football clubs this season, Donaghadee is facing a fixture congestion as the season enters its last month. Sat 19 March is scheduled for a Conference League game against Banbridge 2, and for the Seconds it is Lisburn 3 and the Thirds have no game.
