Nicholl’s side lose again

The two clubs are now in joint top spot in the table on 30 points but the County Down men have a game in hand.

The conditions at Judges Road on Saturday were arctic with a bitterly cold cross field wind, both teams kept the crowd entertained with the result in doubt right up to the last five minutes.

Derry started the better with plenty of early pressure but were unable to unlock the ’Hinch defence and the closest they came to scoring was a penalty miss on ten minutes.

Ballynahinch survived the initial pressure and got themselves on the scoreboard twice in quick succession on 20 minutes courtesy of two well struck penalties from Michael Lawton the second one following a great piece of play by centre Harte.

The home teams play deteriorated with poor handling and options taken leading to unnecessary pressure when territory could be gained by kicking.

The insistence of running the ball from inside your own 22 every time is fraught with danger against decent senior opposition.

Derry upped their game on 30 minutes and produced their best passage of play.

Good attacking play from Chris Barber, Jack Caithness and wingers William McCleery and Simon Logue kept Ballynahinch on the back foot.

Minutes later the home side should have scored a try with a six man overlap created out right but ’Hinch slowed ruck ball twice and when their wing forward McGuigan was sent to the bin Peter Henderson kicked the resultant penalty and Derry were 6-3 behind.

More pressure from Mark Nicholl’s side gave Henderson another shot at goal on 37 minutes to level the scores but the referee over ruled the two linesmen and no conversion was given.

The Derry scrum with a front row of Chris Shields, David Ferguson and Paul McFeely was dominant all through and the pack produced on the stroke of half time.

Quick scrum ball allowed No 8 Tom Patton to pick-up 20 metres out and draw the last man to allow scrum half Jack Caithness to touch down in the corner for a deserved try and with Henderson converting Derry were 10-6 in the lead for the first time in the game.

The Judges Road out-fit started the second half poorly turning over possession once again by trying to play too much rugby in their 22. Ballynahinch capitalised on gifted ball on 45 minutes and winger Adam Craig could not believe his luck as he gathered the ball to waltz past three tacklers to touch down for a try and with Michael Lawton converting the ’Hinch lead was now 13-10.

Derry and Ballynahinch had penalty misses on ten and 60 minutes as the weather deteriorated. Derry received a blow when their captain David Funston was sent to the bin for continual infringement at the breakdown.

The game changer came on 75 minutes with sustained Derry pressure on the ’Hinch line almost producing a score that would have clinched victory.

The Ballynahinch defence was solid and when possession was eventually turned over they swept down the field in a flowing movement that saw out half James Thompson get in for the decisive try which Lawton converted for a 20-10 lead.

Lawton with the last kick of the game converted another penalty to leave Ballynahinch victorious.

City of Derry: Chris Shields, David Ferguson, Paul McFeely, Philip Brady, Brian Prue, Adam Bratton, David Funston, Tom Patton, Jack Caithness, Richard Peoples, William McCleery, David Graham, Chris Barber, Simon Logue, Peter Henderson. Replacements: Sam McAuley, Sam Duffy, Steven Jefferson, Bob McKillop, Richard Peoples.