The Greers of Antrim sponsored Banbridge Thirds played their fifth League game of the season in front of a fairly large crowd at Rifle Park on Saturday. Stand-in Captain Andy Craig was hoping to keep the team’s 100% record intact with this Lisburn team being seen as a stiff test. Manager Andy Duke and Coach William Kirkwood had a few changes to make as some players from last week’s win against Larne Seconds were injured or unavailable.
The home team started off slowly as has been the trend and Lisburn got the first points on the board, slotting over a penalty at the second attempt to put them 3-0 up after 15 minutes. The turning point came when a promising Lisburn attack was stopped dead by a powerful tackle from winger Martin Armstrong.
When Bann went on the offensive Mark Doherty had a chance to level the score but he put his kick wide. From the resulting re-start Bann won a scrum and broke blind with passes going through the hands of Scott Jardine, Gary McKibben, William Taylor, Calum Boland and back to Taylor who used his considerable power to get over the line. Doherty swept over the conversion from the touchline.
145 Photos on slideshow of Lisburn RFC II XV v Banbridge RFC III xv, courtesy of Tom Porter Photography. CLICK HERE. Should anyone require a high resolution image simply contact Tom on 07740 676076
Within 10 minutes Bann had gone further ahead through Doherty’s well-struck penalty. The home side kept the pressure on and flanker Andy Brown charged down the oppositions out-half’s kick, re-gathered and sprinted in from 30 metres to touch down under the posts. Doherty’s extras took the interval score to 17-3.
The Bann forwards picked up their game in the second half and played a bit of keep-ball in opposition territory. But it wasn’t until midway through the half that they added to the team’s tally. Brown picked up from a scrum on the Lisburn five metre line and charged over for his second try of the game with Doherty adding the conversion.
Within minutes the Bann team were back up on the opposition’s line with McKibben, Taylor, Armstrong and Boland testing the Lisburn defence. But then the pack got their hands on it, picked and went through phases until veteran prop Gareth Jelly knocked the ball on over the line.
Another scrum on the Lisburn line was won and again Bann broke blind with the ball going through the hands of Man-of-the-Match Matthew Bird, who just appeared to be everywhere, to his former Under-19 team mate Doherty who flipped the ball round his back for winger Boland to dive over in the corner.
The best try was kept to the end when the ball was stolen around the half-way line. It went through most the hands of most of the team before eventually leaving Doherty free in the corner for his side’s fifth try of the day, with the full-back slotting over an excellent conversion.
Geoff Little played well at hooker in his first game of the season and along with lock Stephen Nelson guaranteed quality line-out ball throughout the game.
This week Banbridge 3rd XV’s team travel to CIYMS 2nd XV’s, hoping to extend their unbeaten run, whilst Lisburn 2nd XV are away to Bangor 2nd XV hoping for a better result.
145 Photos on slideshow of Lisburn RFC II XV v Banbridge RFC III xv, courtesy of Tom Porter Photography. CLICK HERE. Should anyone require a high resolution image simply contact Tom on 07740 676076
