On Saturday last Enniskillen’s 2nd XV returned to Crawford Cup action at Mullaghmeen and having
secured a quarter final home draw they fielded with a selection that reflected many forced changes
from the side that had registered an excellent win over the league leaders, Grosvenor, the previous
week.
Chris Dickey moved to the out-half berth and with Paddy McCleery, competently performing at
scrum half, produced a formidable half-back partnership. Their stewardship of both attack and
defence throughout the game had a major influence on the eventual outcome. Richard O’Callaghan
made a welcome return at full back, effortlessly marshalling the last line of defence throughout,
ably assisted in defence by Gordon White and Richard Henderson who were faultless for the eighty
minutes on the flanks.
Michael Law returned from injury to form a formidable centre partnership alongside Paul Burns.
Up front Alan Ferguson replaced Johnny Foster in the front row and along side Richard Beatty and
Andrew McCrea controlled the set-piece throughout, with skipper Cathal McGarry and Richard
Willis provided the power from the second row engine room.
Although Rainey struggled throughout, with their mounting injury list taking its toll, they never at
any stage looked like giving up and deserved credit for competing in every aspect of the game until
the final whistle.
Conditions were ideal for rugby and with virtually no wind to assist either side Enniskillen received
the opening kick-off and immediately indicated their intent to play an expansive running game
driving deep into the opposition half. Having controlled possession for the opening five minutes
‘Skins ran the ball at the stubborn opposition cover, rucking and re-cycling the ball when required.
Having built the phases in the Rainey “22” Andrew Mc Crea broke and drove through the visitors’
defence to touch down in the corner for a well taken try to open the home side’s account.
Although Rainey did try to take the game to Enniskillen, their efforts were thwarted on every
occasion by a well-organised home side defence and it wasn’t long before ‘Skins increased their
lead. From a line-out just inside the Rainey half Eddie Roofe took a clean catch and the ball was
immediately gathered by the Enniskillen pack. With some disciplined forward support play the
forwards managed to set up several phases to bring the play deep into the visitors’ “22” and from a
ruck the ball was gathered by Fergal Nolan who outflanked the defensive cover and sprinted from
twenty metres out to register the second try of the afternoon.
Shortly after Rainey were dispossessed in midfield and the ball was gathered by Dickey who
released the eager Enniskillen back line. Henderson, playing in an unfamiliar position on the wing,
took full advantage of the stretched opposition cover to touch down between the posts with
McCleery adding the subsequent conversion.
Any thoughts of the game being prematurely over were quickly dispelled when a concerted effort
from Rainey to re-establish some parity resulted in several meaningful drives towards the
Enniskillen line where their out-half, who threatened throughout, eventually evaded the ‘Skins’
defence for the visitor’s opening, and only, score of the afternoon.
This reinvigorated the home side, who from the restart began running at the opposition from every
opportunity, with the back row of Roofe, Nolan and Ross Duncan excelling in the loose
throughout. The sustained period of pressure again paid off when just after the half hour mark Ross
Duncan, making one of his familiar drives from the base of a ruck, off-loaded to Henderson who in
