Newry entered the Gordon West Cup quarter final fixture with high spirits, the last time Newry reached quarter finals they faced a more competitive Letterkenny side which ran away with the fixture, this time Newry were not prepared to give their opponents Hollywood an easy match. Newry applied the early pressure, game was contested in the oppositions half, until Hollywood were handed an unfortunate bounce of the ball allowing the Hollywood number 12 to run in for a converted try. It began to look like it wasn’t going to be Newry’s day when another error handed Hollywood their seconds try, along with a penalty Newry were down 15-0 with twenty minutes of the first half remaining. With a change of tactics Newry brought the game to Hollywood in the pack, from a penalty within kicking distance, Newry opted for the scrum in the search of five points, with a massive shove the Newry pack managed to push Hollywood over the try line which allowed Jackson McEvoy get Newry’s first try, the score 15-5 at half time.
Thirty nine out of forty minutes of the second half was played in the Hollywood half, with a stern defense Hollywood managed to hold of the Newry attack until a 10 meter scrum, James Warren picked the ball of the back of the scrum and set up Peter Jenkins to slide in the corner for the seconds try. Newrys third try was of similar fashion with five minutes remaining Newry gave everything they had in the scrum again James Warren picked at eight and put Martin Cunningham in the gap for the third try, the scores were 15 a piece with four minutes remaining. From the restart Newry kept possession and went for the jugular, a turn over in possession and a resulting penalty left Hollywood with a 40meter Penalty for the win, with the last kick of the game the number 10 placed the ball over the bar with cm’s to spare, Newry hearts were broken. A lot of positives can be taken from the game, the pack worked excellent and the backs worked till the end.
Team: N Robertson, C Stewert, C McNally, D Austin, G Toal, J Warren, S Farrell, J McEvoy, D Farrell, F Lewis, P Jackson, P Wentworth, M Cunningham, N Mills, J McCabe. Subs: C Cole, G Madden.
