Towns’ Cup Omagh 19 Larne 10
by Kyle Porter
Omagh Accies registered two penalty tries in the last 15 minutes to finally see off a very committed Larne outfit
and progress to the quarter finals of the Towns’ Cup. The weather was the real winner on
the day, making conditions very difficuly with the lineouts a virtual lottery, while the picth was heavy
and cut up badly as the game went on.
Indeed, it was a measure of both Larnes’ effort that they scored a fine try, keeping the ball for an age in
challenging conditions, but also the maturity of a young home side, which did not panic despite being
10-7 down with 15 minutes to play.
Omagh played up the hill in the first period and rarely threatened the halfway line, never mind the
scoreboard. They put a couple of phases together, but with handling very tricky and conditions
underfoot not lending itself to free flowing champagne rugby, they were on the back foot for the half.
Even a poor kick went 60 metres, such as the power of the wind, and it was always going to be a game
of two halves with counter attacking from deep and running from the 22 never an option playing into
the wind.
Alistair Beckett made a neat break but the last pass failed to connect with fellow winger Andy
McFarland, while Lee Murphyput in a well controlled grubber kick which was well gathered by Alan
Heaney. The vice captain looked to offload but was tackled from behind in the motion of passing and the
ball was knocked on.
A couple of driving mauls gained territory but were too far out and ran out of steam before Omagh
could reach the try line.
Larne used the wind to good effect, but will regret not taking their chances with five penalties missed by
the visititng kicker. He had the distance but never the direction in what was very difficult conditions for
kicking for posts. He did register one score through, with the Glynn men going into the break 3-0 up.
The half back combination of Lee Murphy and Stuart McCain used the wind well in the second half,
pinning Larne deep throughout, while David Ward used his trusty left boot to good use to change the
angles and drive his team forward.
Playing the lines well, the Accies set up their first scoring chance of the day. They were awarded a scrum
five metres out, and in the ascendancy all afternoon, they drove foreward only for Larne to drop the
scrum resulting in another penalty. Scrumming again, Omagh drove their opponents over the line but
were denied the try when a home back dived in at the side with the referee having no option but to
award a penalty try. Ward added the conversion.
Hoping to push on and seal the win, the Co. Tyrone men were rocked by the best phase of possession
all afternoon. Larne controlled the ball, used the pick and go to good effect and recycled well, gaining
small chunks of yardage each time. Close to the line, the scrum half went blind on a wide arc before
slipping an inside pass to their No.8 on the burst and he went through some lacklustre tacking around
the fringes to go over for a well deserved try. The conversion was added for the visitors to lead 10-7
with 15 minutes to go.
Refusing to panic, the halfbacks kept the visitors hemmed in and kicked a penalty to touch some 10
metres out. The lineout was secored and the pack got the drive on. The maul was pulled down a few
metres short with Omagh choosing to scrum from the resulting penalty. Again they drove forward only
for their opponents to offend again with the referee having no option but to award another penalty try.
Ward added the conversion.
David Thompson came on with 10 minutes to go replacing Stuart Lyons at loose head and had an
eventful 5 minutes before being asked to leave proceedings for hands in the ruck with 5 minutes to go.
Louis Whitworth has recently returned to the Accies and it was good to see him in the colours again,
playing well in the back row, the boost the squad needed after losing club skipper Andrew Ferguson for
the season.
Stuart McCain closed the scoring with the final play of the game when, in time served Accies scrum half
fashion, he noticed the cover defence tied in the tight and broke blind from 5 metres out to scamper
over to touch down and put the final touch on a good move. The conversion was added.
Omagh wil be relived to defeat a very plucky and well organised Larne outfit in tough conditions and
have no injuries to report ahead of their next match, a league encounter against Limavady at home bext
weekend.
