COOKSTOWN DEFEAT MALONE . . . . AGAIN Cookstown 13 Malone 3
Cookstown made it through to the Ravenhill Cup fnal for the second time in 3 years as they defeated rivals Malone on Saturday. In a superb advertisement for Minor league rugby! It was the Mid Ulster men who came out on top for a third time this season against the Malone club. Conditions were difficult throughout the game and it made life difficult for both sides. Cookstown spent most of the half in Malone territory despite facing into a gale force wind but they were continually frustrated by some fine Malone defence. Indeed it was the Belfast men who opened the scoring with a penalty following Cookstown indiscipline. This was to be the only score for the first half as Malone went into the half time break with a slender advantage.
Cookstown continued to dominate the game in the second half and a number of chances went begging. Just as it seemed it may not have been Cookstown’s day! Kezzy Nugent fnally made the breakthrough, minutes from time as he powered over in the corner following sustained Cookstown pressure. Following this Malone made their one and only foray into the Cookstown half but with the ball turned over! Nugent kicked downfield for Paul 0’Neill to chase and he managed to touch down with inches to spare. Ciaran Currie applied the insurance score with a drop goal and in a frantic few final minutes! Cookstown held firm to secure their place in the final much to the delight of the Cookstown players and supporters.
Director of Rugby & Captain/Banter/Merchant Liam Currie said afterwards! It was a very hard and physical game and the players will feel it for days to come. Malone’s defence in terms of their first up tackling! reorganising and line speed was immense. We were frustrated in the frst half so in the second half we changed our game plan to get in behind them. It was our turn to apply pressure which led to two errors and two tries. We needed that drop goal as insurance though. Now it’s on to preparing for Hinch in the final. The final will place against Ballynahinch on Saturday
7th of May at a venue to be confirmed.
The club would like to thank all those supporters that braved the conditions on Saturday as well as Daron Patterson for the pictures and the Dunleath Bar or the post game refreshments.
