Lisburn Second XV come good with fine Cooke victory

Lisburn 2s 26 Cooke 2s 15

Lisburn 2nd XV raised their game in no uncertain manner under the home floodlights at Blaris last week when soundly defeating third in the table Cooke Seconds.

With their strong pack dictating matters up front, the home backs were able to show their pace.

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The opening ten minutes saw the two teams share a penalty apiece but gradually Lisburn started to turn the screw and quick ball on the 22 metre line saw the halfbacks Steven Reddick and Ian McCaugherty put Ross Reaney through on an inside break and the big winger ran through a massive hole in the Cooke defence to score at the posts.

Outhalf Ian McCaugherty kicked the conversion and Lisburn were in front by 10-3.

Cooke came back with two quick penalties following on from some continuous indiscipline by Lisburn to narrow the gap to 10-9.

However, five minutes before the halftime whistle the Lisburn pack, following four five metre scrums on the Cooke line, eventually drove them over for number eight Scott Colligan to dot the ball down for an interval lead of 15-9.

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The second period was no sooner under way when Lisburn had increased their lead again. The ball was won going forward and big second row Andy Barron, who was playing a stormer in the Lisburn pack, gained possession in open play and dashed through the Cooke cover to score a great try and give Lisburn an eleven point lead.

Alas, during the third quarter further indiscipline provided Cooke with two more penalties to once again narrow the gap to 20-15.

Following urging from coach Kenny Millen on the touchline, Lisburn once again started to dictate matters up front and huge pressure was put on the Cooke pack.

Great scrummaging by the Lisburn front five of Kaka, Jefferson, team Captain Jamie Dickson, Barron and Armstrong pushed Cooke into numerous errors and Ian McCaugherty punished them with two well taken penalties to leave the final score at 26-15.

This win puts Lisburn into fourth place in the league and sets them up strongly to challenge for a promotion place come the end of the season.

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