Lisburn 17 – Bangor 20
The Corus sponsored Lisburn 1st XV were back at Blaris last Saturday after an eight week lay-off due to frozen pitches and holiday season breaks. The rustiness showed as despite scoring three good tries they found themselves at the wrong end of a Town’s Cup scoreline against old foes Bangor.
After the long break the team were full of attacking fervour in the opening minutes of the game and the home pack drove play into the Bangor half of the pitch as they swept forward seeking their first score. This came in ten minutes as the ball was moved out to the backs and full back Richard Kindred split the defence with a well-timed run. Andrew Gibb, taking on the duties of the absent Mark Crothers, missed the conversion. As so often happens nowadays, the period after scoring can be a dangerous time for defences and so it happened on this occasion. Bangor got possession almost from the re-start and ran the ball up to the Lisburn goal line where the home defence were caught in soft mode and Bangor ran in the try with a two man overlap. Five all.
Some indiscipline in the home play soon gave Bangor an unlikely 5-8 lead with a penalty but things got immeasurably worse for Lisburn as the game approached the interval. Bangor were starting to strengthen their grip on the game with some good running by their backs and driving play from their back row and were soon 5-15 up with Lisburn having some soul searching to do.
Ten minutes into the second half, after coach Bruce Cornelius had used some stiff verbal tactics during the interval, things again got worse for Lisburn after the Bangor right wing made a huge run out of defence to go down the pitch unhindered to score. Bangor were 5-20 up and it was looking like Lisburn weren’t at the game.
However, Lisburn came back strongly and five minutes later scored one of the best tries of the game. Scrumhalf Nicky Craig made a dash through the Bangor defence, passed to outhalf Ally Finlay who in turn put Richard Kindred in possession. The speedy full back earned his Lisburn man of the match award by handing off the final defender and dashing in for his second try under the posts. Unfortunately, the simple conversion was again missed, coming off the wrong side of the post.
With the score at 10-20, Lisburn now had the bit between their teeth and on 30 minutes winger Adam Melville again scored one of his characteristic tries, dashing up the left wing. Substitute second row Stuart Pringle kicked a great conversion and suddenly it was 17-20 with ten minutes still to play. Lisburn were now doing all the pressing but try as they might they could not get that final break-through to bring them into the second round of the cup, despite the efforts of new player Craig Ross, who fits well into the front or second row. The match was a valuable exercise from the point of view of getting much needed match practice before they return to the league next Saturday against Omagh, again at Blaris. Their last game against this opposition was an eminently forgettable one and they will feel that they owe them one on their home turf.
Lisburn’s 2nd XV play their outstanding Crawford Cup first round tie against local rivals Portadown 3rds, also at Blaris whilst Lisburn’s 3rd XV host Ballynahinch 5ths so a good day’s rugby is in prospect with three home fixtures being played at Blaris this weekend.
