Randalstown 3rd XV 26 Malone 4th XV 15
Randalstown 3rds were the only team in action this weekend. They put in a solid performance against Malone 4ths on Saturday afternoon and came away with a pleasing victory. It was good to see Phil Nelson returning from injury and he certainly added another line out option. Joe Cross lined out for the 3rds as the under 19s had no game and he is a very exciting young player, catching the eye throughout the game.
The match was evenly contested in the early phases and there was almost half an hour on the clock before the scoreboard was troubled as both defences held well. Eventually the Malone full back ran in under the posts, leaving a straightforward conversion and putting the visitors 7 points ahead.
However the ‘Town men were combining well and scored 2 tries in quick succession before the interval. Johnston added the extras on both occasions and ‘Town turned round 14-7 ahead.
A slight lapse just after the interval allowed Malone to breach the defence again and narrow the gap. The pendulum swung back further in favour of the visitors after Randalstown conceded a penalty in a very kickable position and the lead was lost as the Malone out half converted the opportunity.
A few minutes later however Mowbray cut loose with a great break down the middle of the park and Nathan Hodges was quickly up in support. He gathered the off load and touched down on the right wing for ‘Town retake the lead.
Randalstown finished strongly with a final try close the posts leaving Johnston a fairly straightforward conversion. This was another good team performance and hopefully provided a morale boost after the disappointment of the semi-final defeat the previous week.
There are still some fixtures to be rearranged for both the 2nd and 3rd XV. Details will be on the website as soon as they are finalised.
