Cookstown travelled to Strabane after a eight week lay off due to weather conditions knowing nothing less than a win would keep their season on track as the game was played as a double header for both league points and as round 1 of the McCambley cup. The match started slow with cookstown taking control in the home teams 22 and after constant pressure were awarded a penalty which O’Neill slotted making it 3-0. Cookstown continued to pressure the home side and after some great forward running released the backline for Currie to go over under posts which O’Neill slotted to make it 10-0. Having already beat Cookstown earlier in the season Strabane weren’t for dropping their heads and continued to try in run the ball at Cookstown but were caught on counter attack for Eastwood to go over in the corner.
Cookstown continued to test the home side but with weather conditions getting worse they had slow ball down and keep it tight going in at half time 18-0. Cookstown started slowest of two teams in second half and were caught when Strabane went over to score first try against Cookstown in eight games but with so much to play for cookstown quickly replied through McKeown to see off the home sides comeback and just before full time Eastwood scored his second from back of a scrum in front of posts to see Cookstown through to second round and with confident win will be looking to progress further in the cup.
Squad:L.Currie,S.Rea,O.Mallon,C.Workman,J-P.Reah,R.Eastwood,M.Brown,A.Stinson,C.Currie,M.Boone,R.Campbell,P.O’Neill,S.Quinn,M.McKeown,B.Loughran,C.O’Hagan,R.Brown,C.Moore,C.Harte,K.Parks,G.Stinson
