Comfortable win for Ballyclare 5th XV
Wednesday, 15 October 2008
WITH SEVERAL players off to Ravenhill to support Ulster, Ballyclare's top two teams opted to have a free afternoon, so the spotlight was on the lower teams.
However Jonny Barnett's 5th XV was the only one to shine, when they were too strong for a youthful Queen's University IV outfit at Lower Cloughan.
The home side seemed on course for a massive win after running in four first half tries to turn round 22-7 ahead, but defensive errors gifted the students three second half scores, but still Ballyclare ran out comfortable 41-26 winners in this Minor League fixture.
Promising prop Jonathan Birkmyre opened the scoring from a lineout, and then skipper Jonny Barnett doubled the lead when he was up in support of a thrust by the backs, to get his name on the score-card.
Johnny Wasson then weighed in with a brace, one of which he converted, while the visitors replied with a converted score before the interval.
Former Ulster Juniors star, Harry Gaston, crashed through the opposition in characteristic style for a solo score, while Niall Lamont set it up for Davy Gardiner to cross the line, with winger Mark Fox getting the final touchdown.
Wasson converted two of these scores to take his personal tally to sixteen points, in a match that the home side should have won more convincingly. A mediocre defensive performance by the back division was offset by some fine driving by the pack.
"We were good going forward but were found wanting defensively," was the consensus of opinion on the touchline.
Minor League
In a bad-tempered Minor League fixture at The Cloughan, Ballyclare IV went down 12-8 to Carrick III.
The standard of behaviour detterarted progressively in this local derby between the East Antrim rivals, and the referee decided to have an early finish as hostilities continued to boil over.
Home scrum-half, Gareth Byers, in addition to getting the Man of the Match accolade, scored all his side's points with a touchdown and a penalty.
This weekend's fixtures: 1st XV v Academy, home; 2nd XV v Instonians II, away; 3rd XV v Portadown III, home; 4th XV v Antrim II, away; 5th XV v Malone IV, home; Youth XVs v Ards, away.
