Easy game for Judges Road outfit ahead of cup final

City of Derry..68Ballyclare...7

BEVAN Lynch's men dispatched Ballyclare in some style in their first Towns Cup fixture. The City of Derry men outscored their opponents ten tries to one at Judges Road on Saturday.

City of Derry led by 33 points to nil going into half time. The fixture did not prove much of a test in preparation for their All Ireland AIB Junior Cup Final against Armagh in Athlone at the weekend.

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City of Derry started with the team expected to represent them in the final and were hoping for a stern workout to help in their preparation. Ballyclare were totally outclassed from start to finish. The game proved to be a fruitless exercise going into such an important fixture.

Derry were on the scoreboard within five minutes when scrum half Andrew Semple pounced on a loose ball. Out half Richard McCarter found full back Peter Henderson with a cut out pass to score a try to the left of the posts. Mark O'Connor converted. Ten minutes later McCarter scored an individual unconverted try with a thirty five metre break.

Sam McAuley got his name on the scoreboard with a try after twenty five minutes. McCarter found Henderson who made the break before finding his hooker to score with O'Connor adding the extras. McAuley became the provider shortly afterwards. Derry moved the ball down the left wing through Josh Lewis. When the ball was moved swiftly across the backline to the right wing McAuley found second row Davis Houston who scored a try wide out and O'Connor converted.

Derry finished the first half with a try initiated by Semple who took a quick tap penalty to allow David Funston to make the break and find Henderson outside. He scored his second try and O'Connor converted to leave his team 33pts in front at half time.

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The game was held up for a long period just after half time for an injury to one of the Ballyclare backs.

City of Derry lost concentration on the restart and Ballyclare captain Colin Morrow made a great cross field run and found winger Richard McKinght who scored a try in the corner which out half McDonald converted.

Derry responded quickly when Man of the Match Richard McCarter intercepted to score a try under the post which he converted himself. From the kick off McCarter made another break before releasing No 8 Stephen Corr to score a try by the posts with McCarter converting.

Richard McCarter was running the game as he pleased. On twenty minutes he broke from his own 22 metre line and picked out David Funston on the half way line. He out stripped the opposition to score under the posts with Henderson converting. Derry finished the game with two further tries. The first came from Karl Gemmell which Corr converted and the second from Andrew Semple which he converted himself.

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City of Derry now look forward to their first All Ireland Final this weekend and a chance for this group of players to make history for the Club. The game kicks off in Athlone at 1pm on Saturday and a big crowd of supporters are expected to make the journey south. The Club are running a Supporters Bus and anyone wishing to travel should contact the Club.

City of Derry: Peter Henderson, Josh Lewis, David Funston, Jarred Bennett, Mark O'Connor, Richard McCarter, Andrew Semple, David Witherow, Sam McCauley, Chris Shields, David Houston, Bob McKillop, Karl Gemmell, Mark Walker, Stephen Corr. Replacements: Jason Mitchell, Stephen Ferguson.