Lurgan were the visitors to Kerr Park last Saturday and with the firsts having no game the sidelines were crowded with spectators wanting to see what the seconds were up to in their league.
The weather was set fair for a fast open game although there was a stiff breeze blowing down the pitch from the direction of Belfast. The winning margin of 12 – 20 did not flatter Holywood who put up a sterling rearguard action in the second half to secure both league points on offer. Lurgan kicked off but it was Holywood who immediately began to press the opposition line. With the wind at their backs Holywood used the elements well to ensure that Lurgan were held inside their own 22 for long periods of play.
The scoreboard kicked into action after 14 minutes whenever a period of pressure on the Lurgan line involving a steady procession of pick and drives by the home forwards meant that when the ball was eventually swung across the backline Robert Cooper was able to slide in for the first try of the afternoon. Sadly his attempted conversion went awry but nevertheless Holywood had strode into a 5 – 0 lead and were looking comfortable in their play. Holywood then took on the appearance of a team that was going to go on and win their match comfortably and their play certainly showed signs of raising the score beyond their opponents reach. However, time and again Holywood squandered positions were it looked as if it would have been easier to score than not. Sometimes the team managed to butcher an overlap when a simple pass would have produced a try and sometimes a misplaced pass was the culprit but whether it was those mistakes or a knock on at a crucial moment they all added up to the same thing in that they were opportunities missed. It didn’t take long for Lurgan to make Holywood pay for their wasted chances. The first time that Lurgan managed to break out from their own line and get some of the game played in Holywood territory was the first time Lurgan got on the scoreboard. Perhaps Holywood had got complacent whenever possession had come so easily to them or perhaps they just took their eye off the ball. Either which way the result was the same as Lurgan crashed over to score a try and a conversion. At 5 – 8 down it should have sent a clear message to the Holywood team that playing the fast open rugby is all well and good but if you’re scoring less than your opponents then the result will always be a loss. That message didn’t seem to cross the minds of the Holywood team who sat back and allowed Lurgan the luxury of another score, the only difference being that this try went unconverted but Holywood were still now trailing by 5 – 12 and there were only a handful of minutes left in the first half. With halftime approaching Holywood were awarded a penalty and Robert Cooper coolly slotted home the 3 points to bring Holywood back to 8 – 12 down. Having played 47 minutes of a first half Holywood were thankful of the break and the backroom team got the chance to sort out what had been going awry in the first half. Doubtless Lurgan were feeling that they had done all the hard work and that having played against the wind and held on to a lead that they would simply coast along for the remaining 40 minutes. Holywood were prepared to have to work harder into the wind for the second half and in the back three of Graeme Webster, Joe Wood and Mike Silvester they had players who would not shirk from running the ball back at Lurgan at every available opportunity. It is one of the strange things in rugby that when a team is playing into whatever elements are about the team will invariably tighten itself up a number of notches and plays a lot smarter and with a lot more focus on the job in hand. Suddenly the Holywood pack began to make lots of yards from the simple ploy of Danny Hillen throwing to either Matt Mullan or Keith Griffin and then the pack just driving and mauling the ball up the pitch. Davy Hunter began to thrive on the quality of ball that he was receiving and astute kicks to the corner and the odd penalty ensured that Lurgan were not able to clear their own line easily. The pressure eventually told whenever another of Holywood’s rolling mauls meandered its way over the Lurgan line and when the ref’s hand shot up to signal the try the last player up with the ball was Bobby Irvine with a grin from ear to ear at having scored the try that took Holywood back into the lead at 13 – 12. Robert Cooper added the extras and the score jumped to 15 – 12 in Holywood’s favour. Lurgan were stung at having lost their lead and as expected came back on the attack. Holywood by now though had the bit between their teeth and were not going to fall into the trap they fell into in the first half and relinquish the lead they had fought so hard to get. Strong tackling from Jamie White and Richie McRoberts in the centre made sure that those doors remained firmly closed whilst in the pack Christophe Perret and Craig Moore were ensuring that they were not going to be out-muscled in the loose. The Holywood pack got their just rewards whenever a kick to the corner meant that Lurgan had a defensive lineout just five metres from their own line. The pressure told and Lurgan were held up behind their own line which meant that Holywood had the put in at the subsequent five metre scrum. Chris Murray’s quick strike was aided by the push from Christophe Perret and Danny Hillen with the end result that Ben Simson, who was having a fine game at number eight, was released from the back of the scrum to power his way over the line to score. Robert Cooper missed the conversion but at 20 – 12 Holywood had eventually put clear water between themselves and their opposition. The final few minutes were played out with Lurgan looking like a broken team and Holywood looking like they were simply determined to hold on to the lead they had and not throw it away on the back of a rash of stupid penalties. Whenever the ref blew for no side it was Holywood that grabbed the two leagues points with their well deserved victory. This wasn’t a spectacle per se but it was a good honest performance from a team who eventually found the will to win. Skills are spirit are visible for all to see and perhaps the missing link in the team is the lack of practice that the team would have together if they were to train together, regularly. Still, a win is a win and a few of the team showed the watching selectors that they would not be out of place were they to wear a first XV jersey which can only be good. Man of the match went to Mike Silvester for his performance both on the wing and then at full back.
