HOLYWOOD ROAR ON ALL-WEATHER
A 100+ mile bus trip is never the ideal preparation for a game of rugby but that was the journey that Holywood undertook to play Ballyshannon in a league fixture. Coupled, when they got there, with the fact that they were to play on an all weather 3g pitch and the whole affair started to look like the banana skin that Holywood’s unbeaten start to the season would slip up on. The fears were to be unfounded as Holywood powered there way to a very impressive 8 – 47 victory with the ref blowing up for no side over 10 minutes early.
The weather was that of a typical autumnal Donegal day – a bit of everything from warm sunshine through to a blustery shower. Holywood kicked off and although they went immediately on the offensive it was obvious that the team were struggling to come to grips with playing on an all weather surface. The game was being played at breakneck pace by Ballyshannon and it was going to take a while for their visitors to lose their inhibitions about the lack of mud and grass to fall on in a tackle situation. Nevertheless, after some 7 minutes when awarded a penalty just outside Ballyshannon’s 22metre line, Gareth Hillen’s attempt at goal drifted wide on the strong crosswind that blew throughout the game.
Ballyshannon used their local knowledge of the surface and the confusion of multiple lines on the pitch that also hosts football and GAA to break out of defence and were rewarded with a penalty of their own which they duly converted to take a 3 – 0 lead against the run of play after 12 minutes.
The score seemed to spur the Holywood team into a further gear as they went straight back and camped play inside Ballyshannon’s half and but for the last pass being dropped on too many occasions they would have built up a substantial lead. The forwards were by now starting to dominate their County Donegal counterparts in the set piece with Cormac Smyth repeatedly coming up trumps in the scrum with the help of his two burly props Ivan DePledge and Craig Moore. The back row of Matt Mullan, Stevie Gilliland and Hillen were also having a fine match in foraging for any loose ball and ensuring that Ballyshannon weren’t allowed to pass the ball about too freely.
On 20 minutes the Holywood pack overturned possession at a ruck and after a series of rucks skipper Steven Glover was able to dart through the defence and score the opening try of the game. Gareth Hillen added the conversion and Holywood had taken a 3 – 7 lead. Straight from the restart Holywood took possession of the ball and when the ball was moved blind left winger Peter Gordon was released and when he stepped first inside and then around the full back he was through to score. Gareth Hillen converted and suddenly Holywood had opened up a 3 – 14 lead.
Having opened the Ballyshannon defence up regularly with his distribution and kicking Holywood were down to 14 players for a few minutes whilst Stevie Leyland went off for a manicure on a rag nail. Bandaged up he came back on and continued to dominate the game from out half. Fine thrusts by Mike Silvester and Gareth Leyland kept Ballyshannon pinned in their own half for long periods of play and with only 5 minutes left of the first half Holywood turned down what would have been an easy 3 point penalty electing instead to run the ball. The set move allowed Gary stocker to be released and burst through from 15 metres out to score. Gareth Hillen converted and Holywood were now 3 – 21 ahead. Holywood were again reduced to 14 men whenever Ivan DePledge bounced his head off the all weather surface and came off decidedly second best.
Restored to 15 players after the half time break it only took 3 minutes before Holywood sent the scoreboard ticking again. This time a succession of penalties drove Ballyshannon back to within 10 metres of their line. Quick ball from the ruck allowed Matt Mullan and Johnny Elliot to make the hard yards before Gary Stocker piled over to score his second try of the afternoon. Gareth Hillen bagged the two points for the conversion and the lead was stretched to 3 – 28.
At no point had the Ballyshannon team laid down and their resilience was eventually rewarded when, having won a lineout in the centre of the pitch they moved the ball wide and one missed tackle let them in for an unconverted try. At 8 – 28 Ballyshannon definitely felt they could get back into the game and upped the intensity of their play. Unfortunately their winger misinterpreted his captain’s request for more effort and got sin binned for throwing a punch.
Holywood kicked for touch from that penalty and having won the lineout were pressing hard only for play to be stopped for the ref to explain to another Ballyshannon player that punching was not a suitable form of tackling. A severe ticking off was punished whenever Holywood ran the ball from the penalty and Gary Stocker piled over to complete his hat trick of tries. The conversion was slotted home by Gareth Hillen and the score climbed to 8 – 35.
Holywood were now in total control and after 25 minutes Holywood picked up a loose ball inside Ballyshannon territory and with the help of a break from Stevie Leyland, Ivan Depledge skipped in over the corner flag to score. The conversion missed but at 8 – 40 there was no way back for Ballyshannon.
Three minutes later and Holywood were completely out of sight. Great interplay between backs and forwards sent Joe Wood bursting through midfield and having brushed aside despairing tacklers he dotted down beside the posts for a try. Gareth Hillen’s conversion on the 30 minute mark was the last kick of the game and took the score to 8 – 47. Stevie Glover accepted the ref’s invitation to call it a day ten minutes early with the two league points safely in the bank.
A good all round performance with the hat trick of Gary Stocker shading him the man of the match award. Special mention must also go to centre Ian “Tich” Wilson who was making his debut for the 1st XV. He fought hard and tackled harder all day so he can be pleased with his inaugural outing for the side. The team showed, yet again, that they can play as a team and back each other up from 1 to 15. Discipline was admirable in the face of a lot of frustration from the opposition at their inability to hold on possession.
Undefeated in both league and cup this season is something that this team will not relinquish easily if they continue to play with both this spirit and determination.
2nd XV
Holywood 2nd XV hosted Ophir 2nd XV at Kerr Park on Saturday and right from the off the team looked to put last week’s result behind them and prove they are as good as any other team in the league. The most significant change this week was that the hunger was back after a tough training session on Wednesday night and thanks to coach Derry Gilliland heads were up the belief was coming back into their game.
From the kick off Holywood received the ball and went on the offensive resulting in Mike Williams scoring a well worked try beside the posts with the conversion from a rejuvenated Robert Cooper making it 7-0 to Holywood.
Holywood now had the bit between their teeth; they were chasing down every loose ball and competing well in all set plays which may not have been the case in the opening games of the season. Around the half hour mark Paul Glover chipped the ball over the try line and read the bounce of the ball well to score Holywood’s second try and with Robert Cooper’s conversion it was 14-0.
Ophir were up for this game too and responded in kind with an unconverted try to bring the score to 14-5 and although this was followed up by some great rucking by their pack last ditch tackles coming in from Holywood kept the score the same at the break.
After the break there was a spell of fifteen minutes where play went from end to end with great work being put in by both teams until the Holywood full back Danny Tate popped up with the ball just outside the Ophir 22 yard line and scored under the posts giving Robert Cooper an easy opportunity to bring the score to 21 – 5.
Ophir came back out running hard and their efforts paid off when the full back skipped through a couple of tackles to score. The conversion was missed but at 21- 10 they were starting to chip away at Holywood’s lead. After the restart Holywood started to contain Ophir whose loose head prop was running at them with every opportunity but with five minutes to go Ophir scored again and with the conversion the final score was 21-17.
All in all it was a good day for Holywood and for Ophir, because although they lost, they had a young team on the pitch who played well and for the full eighty minutes. It was a very watchable match from a spectator’s point of view. Man of the match this week went to Mike Williams who, along with his try, hardly put a foot wrong all day.
The new found attitude of the seconds as demonstrated in this match will give the team the assurance and confidence to go on and come away with the points again in the matches to come.
CLUB NOTES
This week sees the club’s old friends Donegal Town make the long journey to Kerr Park for a league game. Having been undefeated so far in both league and cup the supporters will be guaranteed a good show of open rugby. The seconds, having got their season up and running, continue their world tour league campaign with a trip to Enniskillen.
