Nutty Krust 2014/15 Final Dromore U18’s v Rainey U18’s 29th April 2015
The final of the 2014/15 Nutty Krust U18 Tournament took place at a damp Chamber’s Park when Dromore U18’s defeated Rainey U18’s in a closely contested game by 10-6. The first half of the game was played in damp overhead as well as underfoot conditions which ensured both teams encountered difficulties in controlling possession of the ball.
The Rainey team started well and took an early 3-0 lead when Scott McLean converted a penalty opportunity following a Dromore infringement shortly after the kick off. Four minutes later Ryan Hughes and Jonny Creighton combined to pressurise the Rainey defence into giving away a penalty at the breakdown. TJ Morris stepped up to convert the penalty to draw the scores level at 3-3.
Dromore then went on to control the game in terms of territory and possession for the next fifteen minutes but could find no way through a resolute Rainey defence. That was until TJ Morris took advantage of a dropped ball in the Rainey ranks. TJ scooped the ball up and outpaced a despairing Rainey defence to touch down for a try. He added the conversion to put his team into a 10-3 lead.
The loss of a Rainey player to injury saw the Rainey team reshuffle their backline and, for the final few minutes of the first half, the Rainey team started to gain some territorial advantage. However, the Dromore defence held firm which ensured the teams turned around with the Dromore 10-3 lead intact at the interval.
The Rainey team started the second half strongly and reduced the deficit to 10-6 when Scott McLean was successful with his second penalty of the game four minutes after the restart.
The Magherafelt boys were unable to build on this and it was the Dromore team that went on to control most aspects of the game for the next twenty minutes. However, they found it hard to break down the opposition defence despite the efforts of players such as Jack Pepper, Ryan Hughes, TJ Morris, Marcus Heath and Ross Bingham. Rainey had players such as Scott McLean, Cameron Fulton, Daniel O’Neill, Rory Nicholl, Aidan McSwiggan and Fintan Quinn to thank for ensuring the Dromore team could find no way through.
The Rainey team controlled affairs for the final ten minutes of the game and came close to scoring on a number of occasions. They laid siege to the Dromore line but found there was to be no way through.
The final whistle sounded and it was the Dromore U18 team that celebrated their hard earned 10-6 win in the final of the Nutty Krust Tournament.
Following the game presentations were made by John Kinnear, President of the Ulster Branch, IRFU, and Ulster Player, Bronson Ross, to the match officials, the players from Rainey and Dromore U18’s and to a man synonymous with the successful organisation of many Nutty Krust Tournaments, Willie Gribben.
