Enniskillen 3rd XV followed up a good bonus point win at Omagh the previous week with a comprehensive home win against Ballinahinch last Saturday. In January Hinch had put 40 points on Enniskillen, their heaviest defeat of the season, so understandably skins wanted to redress this result, and indeed went to task almost at the off. Quick recycling at the ruck and fluent hands along the backline had the ball ending up in the hands of flanker Michael Cadden, outrunning the defence from halfway to score in the corner. Chris McVitty using the wind advantage to add a difficult conversion. He also added two straight forward penalties in the first half to give skins a 13-0 advantage. Hinch are a very experienced team and frustrated skins at the breakdown all day, both legally and illegally. With increased pressure and a tired skins defence, Hinch got their reward to end the half with a try leaving it 13-5 in skins favour. A lovely try came early in the second half following great hands from the pack and a delicate pop from prop Sam Park to supporting lock Cathal McGarry, who cantered under the posts for Skins second try. Keith Hurst, who took over at 10 in the first half, converted, 20-5. Unfortunately in a heated game the referee followed through with his continued warnings, first sending Ross Duncan to the bin and later Cadden for repeated infringements, but the Hinch 8 also received an overdue yellow which satisfied those spectating. With renewed confidence the young backline started to open up; first Gareth Donaldson showing his pace to sprint under the posts, then debutant fullback Dylan Crawford showing great balance and pace to break two would be tackles to ground under the posts, both converted making it 32-5 with a quarter to play. To Hinch’s credit they battled hard and crashed over for their second converted effort, but on a Hinch penalty in skins’ 22 McGarry read the pass and ran in the 60 yards to score his second. Not to miss out on the scoring, the impressive U18 scrumhalf Josh Kyle broke free to score from his own half. Again the young new recruits made the difference with an immense work rate in defence and attack from flankers Morgan Bruce and Andrew Crawford, with a welcome return and typically abrasive performance from Conor Hoy in mid field. Next week skins travel to Armagh for a league doubleheader as they chase the Ravenhill cup.
