Impressive result from Ballymoney Under-18s against Clogher Valley
From the outset the Town forwards really took on the big Clogher pack and after six minutes, scored an excellent try when quick ball was moved at loose play to be collected by hooker Ben Graham who crashed through four tacklers to score an unconverted try.
This spurred on the Clogher Valley team to attack the Ballymoney line incessantly for the next 15 minutes, but the home team’s defence held firm, and from a long touchline kick they moved back into Clogher territory.
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Hide AdSecond row Tommy Lee McMullan won the line out ball which was quickly moved to the midfield and an infringement by Clogher handed the Town a penalty. Tommy Lee then received a quick pass and ran strongly at the Clogher line, ably supported by Chris Campbell, Graham and Jack Kane who offloaded superbly to Andrew Young to score a good try which was converted by Gary Pattison.
Immediately on resumption of play Aaron Brown sent a long pass to winger Ciaran Neill, who was making his first full debut for the team. Receiving the ball, he shook off the first Clogher tackler and rounded the second tackler to score a brilliant unconverted try by running in from seventy meters out. Six minutes before halftime, an infringement at a ruck presented Clogher with a penalty which was converted.
Just on the whistle Matthew Bell scored another well -worked unconverted try from a ruck, after some sterling work by Campbell and the forwards, leaving the halftime score 22-3 in favour of the Town.
Straight from the kickoff, the Town lads resumed where they had left off by running the ball wide at every opportunity and this paid dividends when fullback Pattison scored two quick tries in succession, which he converted.
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Hide AdBallymoney eased off the pedal at this point and this proved detrimental to them as it allowed Clogher to hit back and score an unconverted try. The Town immediately retaliated and, from overturned ball in the Clogher half, scrumhalf Bell released the backline and was on hand to take an inside pass, cutting through the Clogher defence to score another highly skilful try, converted by Pattison.
Praise must go to the Clogher team who never gave up and battled to breach the Town defence, but good defensive work by Brown, Kane and Reece McKendry kept them at bay. From an overturned Clogher ruck, the ball was released to Neill and the nippy winger ran 30 metres to score a try which the referee upgraded to a penalty try, as he was tackled high, diving for the line.
This was again converted by the boot of Pattison.