After a welcome week’s break, Donaghadee’s First XV resumed their Qualifying League Two programme last Saturday (6 Nov). The players had been looking forward to the visit of Omagh, although they were well aware that the men from County Tyrone were sitting close behind them in their League. For the home side their only real misgiving was that for this game they would be without Chris Beattie, Andrew Findlater, Alistair Lockhart and Ian Martindale in their backline. However, with their pack relatively undisturbed, the Dee men were fairly confident that they could compete up front – but the reputation of the young Omagh backline had preceded their visit to the seaside.
Click Here for photos from Dee v Omagh – CLICK HERE – pictures courtesy of Thelma Morrow
When the Dee centre-three-quarter Bobby Harpur got a bad dead-leg early on, and with no subs allowed in this league, Donaghadee had to alter their strategy in an instant. Harpur, even if only two-thirds fit, simply had to continue if possible, and his team had to achieve total forward domination and then maintain it.
The Omagh eight proved to be a sturdy enough outfit, and this Donaghadee approach took a little while to bear fruit. About fifteen minutes into the game Donaghadee got a third or fourth scrum inside the Omagh “22”. This time, when last year’s captain Andy Monson fired a quick ball to his outside-half Paul Blewitt, he chose to go blindside for the first time in the game. A beautifully weighted O’Gara-style grubber kick through to the goal-line bobbled perfectly for right-wing Marcus Gibson’s pace to get him to the ball before anyone else for the game’s first try. In the poorish conditions Monson’s kick just missed, but Donaghadee were very happy to be on the scoreboard first.
If the Omagh men were disturbed by this early breach, their response was certainly positive. A careless Dee offence gave Stefan Hamilton an easy penalty goal, and this engendered a short spell of entertaining running by the smooth Omagh backs. The attacks were testing, but the Donaghadee defence was well up to it, although they did concede a penalty kick from close enough range that Hamilton was able to convert for a 6-5 lead for the visitors.
On the half-hour the Donaghadee forwards strove mightily to get close to the Omagh line once again and force a scrum-five. As the ball was being carefully presented, Monson, looking like he was eager to perform after his year-long recuperation, had a wee look up and spotted the Omagh left-winger edging towards mid-field. In a flash the scrum-half was gone down the blind side to slide under the frantic cover defence and over the goal line for an exhilarating try. Although the conversion was narrowly missed, the home side took some comfort from being where they most like to be – in front – and by 10 points to 6.
Desperate to get back on terms before the break, an Omagh forward came into a ruck from the side after a general warning, and the referee had no choice but to send him behind the goalposts for ten minutes. The penalty given was more satisfying to Donaghadee and when Monson stroked it over the Dee men seemed content to go into half-time 13-6 up.
There is no law that says you cannot score with a team member off the field, and all credit to the Tyrone men, they stormed downfield on the restart and managed to get over the Donaghadee line for a well-taken try. The easy conversion attempt was a little careless, and so the Omagh players had to go into the interval, happy to be only 13-11 down, but slightly annoyed that their hard work had not brought them level.
If Donaghadee’s captain Chris Good and coach Jim McCoy had any advice during half-time it must surely have been something like “Same again from the forwards this half, but more so.” For about ten or fifteen minutes in the new half the team skills of the Donaghadee eight and the hard work every Tuesday and Thursday evening became very evident. This is not to say the Dee backs were idle during this time. Not only had they to vary the game plan with a run or two, but they also had to deal with the runs the Omagh threequarters mounted at every rare opportunity.
The entire Donaghadee pack was immense during the whole game, but it was during this quarter that all eight of the forwards knocked something of the stuffing out of their opponents. At every opportunity they were demonstrating who were the bosses. The power of Kyle Morrow and the back row of Chris Hamilton, Stuart Hutchinson and Paul Hamilton seemed to be tireless as they won loose ball, secured it and made ground, quickly supported by the weight of the remaining Dee forwards. Richard Martindale simply owned the line-out with three-metre-high catches from almost every pin-pointed Gareth Gordon throw-in at every Donaghadee line-out; the set scrums and mauls edged ominously up-field at every Donaghadee put-in. Pressure such as this, if it can be exerted, will always get results. Almost inevitably, when Donaghadee’s pack saw a glimpse of the Omagh line they produced extra effort. First a gigantic effort, and try, came from Chris Schofield, and a minute or two later his prop colleague Chris Good scored an equally impressive one. These and a conversion really moved the scoreboard along to a comfortable 25-11 to Donaghadee and a bonus point that may come in handy later..
Omagh was really now a beaten side, but nobody had told them that. To their great credit they kept to their game plan, and the Donaghadee players were compelled to stay alert to keep the score as it was. When Stuart Hutchinson burst out of the pack and grounded the football at the foot of the posts for an easy Monson conversion, and this was followed by a fine penalty goal from the same player, the opposition’s goose looked well and truly cooked. But, all credit to this do-or-die Omagh side, they kept at it until their late pressure achieved a good try from Ally Beckett as some compensation.
The final score of 35-18 will not have pleased this ambitious side, but they must realise that on the day they could not compete with Donaghadee strength and experience. Doubtless on their way back to County Tyrone, the Omagh players were already planning for the return match at Mellon Park on the 11th of December. The Donaghadee players certainly are.
Donaghadee team: Billy Allen, Marcus Gibson, Chris McGivern, Bobby Harpur, Rory Garnham; Paul Blewitt, Andy Monson, Chris Schofield, Gareth Gordon, Chris Good (c), Kyle Morrow, Richard Martindale, Stuart Hutchinson, Chris Hamilton and Paul Hamilton.
This Saturday
Donaghadee’s 1st XV have no game this coming Saturday (13 Nov), but the Seconds are at home to Ballyclare 3 and the Thirds also at home to Cooke 4. Both games kick off at 2.30pm.
For Your Diary
The following week (20 Nov) the Firsts play UUC at Donaldson Park in the League. The students are a very strong side in the league, so do try to bring the lads as much support as can be mustered. On the same day the Seconds visit Lisburn 3 and the Thirds play Queen’s 4 at the Dub. Also, don’t forget that this is the same day that Ireland host New Zealand at Lansdowne Road – kick-off 5.30pm.
