Lisburn RFC come good at the death in vital clash

Going into the endgame and down by one point, they conjured up a converted try by prop Mark Gilkinson to finally take the honours in what was a frenetic game of rugby for the visitors.

Lisburn had been forced into numerous changes to the normal team sheet as a result of the unavailability of Ross Edgar, Austin Irwin and Jonny Gilkinson, two of their midfield backs and openside flanker.

However, following the previous weeks’ poor display against Coleraine when they threw away a 17-5 halftime lead to eventually lose by 17 - 38, they were pleased to welcome back Nicky Craig, Mark Crothers, Stewart Evans and Mark Healey to their starting line up as well as giving debut games to flanker Ryan Mark and returning fullback Robin Brown from CIYMS to the Lisburn colours.

With the re-organisation of the Leagues at the end of this season, at least two teams are to be relegated, and possibly three should an Ulster team be demoted out of the A.I.L., so it is vitally important to win points wherever they can be found and especially against teams in the bottom half of the league.

UUC started the game as expected from a University team by throwing the ball around with abandon but they found Lisburn in uncompromising mood in the defensive stakes.

After the first quarter, mostly spent inside the Lisburn half, the visitors eventually broke the stranglehold and their pack brought the ball up to the home line where deft close in passing put winger David Harkness in at the corner for the first score of the game. The difficult conversion in the blustery conditions failed.

UUC came right back again within minutes to convert a penalty and make the score 3-5 and ten minutes later they took the lead with a well taken try by their backs after a failed Lisburn tackle allowed their line to be breached.

This was a signal for Lisburn to start taking the game to the free-running students by attacking them up front and a dominant scrum on the home ten metre line put winger Chris Knox into space and he jinked his way to the line for a fine try to bring up the interval score of 8-10.

The opening five minutes of the second period saw each team tag on a penalty each to make it 11-13 but then on the 25 minute mark UUC again went into the lead, 14-13, from another penalty and Lisburn were faced with another potential loss.

However, for the remaining 15 minutes, played in wet, stormy conditions, Lisburn played the cute rugby through their increasingly dominant pack.

Evans, Barron and Healey were gaining good possession from the line outs and the front row of Mark Gilkinson, Pete Graham and Matt Brown were getting the better of their opponents in the set pieces so it was no surprise that pick and go rugby became the order of the day in that final period when Matt Edgar and subs Phil Jefferson and Alan Hughes excelled themselves.

The pressure finally broke UUC and prop Mark Gilkinson went in for the winning score just on the final whistle. This was a fine win for Lisburn but they will feel happier with their performance than in the previous week. The 3rd XV also beat UUC Seconds so there is something to build on for the coming weeks.