UUC 2’s welcomed Letterkenny 2’s to the Sam Logan stadium at cromore road, the weather was far from perfect with heavy rain and a bitterly cold wind. The uni started the brighter of the 2 teams in the first 10mins of the game with a charging run by blindside wing forward Bryan Boyd from the back of a rolling maul, secured by open side Kyle Hetherington encouraged the Letterkenny pack to creep in off side and give a penalty in front of the posts towards Campbell End, there was a gusting wind that would have made this simple kick quite difficult indeed. Richard Murphy stepped up to the mark and made the opening score 3-0.
From the kick off a knock on saw Letterkenny getting the put in at the scrum, but the uni pack who played very well in the tight all day took a strike against the head and the uni number 8 dummied the 9 and stepped inside the 10 only to be taken down short of the 22, good recycling of the ball gave the uni back line a chance to score, but the cold day seen a knock on 8metres from the Letterkenny line.
The visitors started strongly but it was Carrick who took the lead with a penalty b
Letterkenny fought their way back into the game and from one missed tackle out wide saw their centre charge 40metres to score and their kicker converted. 3-7 Undeterred the uni pack battled back hard and suppressed the Letterkenny back line into a hurried kick which gave the uni lads a lineout 15meters from the line, a well taken lineout by Andrew Munce saw Hetherington once again making a telling drive while popping up to number 8 Ricky Boyd who crashed over the try line, however as obvious as the score was the referee thought otherwise, from the 5metre scrum the Letterkenny backs were found off side, from a nearly identical position Richard Murphy converted the penalty, the uni and Letterkenny Touch Judges both raised their arms but yet again the referee deemed it otherwise. Half time score 3-7
Again the uni started the second half dominating position and territory, but a missed time pass 10mins into the half saw a knock by uni on the Letterkenny 5metre line, from the advantage they run the length of the pitch with a forward pass thrown in for good measure to score in the corner, conversion missed 3-12 was the score, which was against the run of play, the uni number 8 was substituted due to an ankle injury, this allowed Kyle to move into his more natural spot at number 8, and alongside McCully and Boyd the newly formed backrow took the game hard to Letterkenny with Kyle heading over the line from an inside pass, conversion scored. 10-12
UUC 2’s who are unbeaten at home this season were now determined to win this match and a penalty 5 mins from time just short of the half way line saw Murphy again strike the ball sweetly and the ball sailed between the uprights, 13-12. A knock on from the receiving kick immediately put the uni lads under pressure as Letterkenny fought hard but they could not penetrate the uni defence, hands where on heads as a penalty was awarded to Letterkenny, they struck the ball well but it got held up in the wind and the advancing centres claimed the ball and took it over the line, but uni lads held them up. Scrum Letterkenny, pick up 8 to 9 to wing and a great tackle by winger Peter McLean allowed Bryan Boyd to come in on the ball, 4 Letterkenny players couldn’t move him as they held on for a penalty to UUC.
Pressure was relieved and the full time whistle went soon after, the man of the match was awarded to Bryan Boyd who returned to the game after a 4 year absence and showed he still has what it takes. A special thanks to him as well as Peter McLean and Nathan McCall who all stepped up to the mark, and with a team whose heads never dropped and battled to the very end secured a win and the unbeaten record at home still stands from last season.
