Impressive win for U-18s

BALLYMONEY RFC U18s 47, LISBURN RFC U18s 7
Conor McClean owner of Cleanscape presenting a match ball to U18 player Matthew Mcconaghy before kick-off against Lisburn. INBM42-14SConor McClean owner of Cleanscape presenting a match ball to U18 player Matthew Mcconaghy before kick-off against Lisburn. INBM42-14S
Conor McClean owner of Cleanscape presenting a match ball to U18 player Matthew Mcconaghy before kick-off against Lisburn. INBM42-14S

On Saturday Ballymoney Under 18s played Lisburn in their first home game of the season and won by 47-7.

After a sluggish start the Town found themselves trailing by 7-0 when the big Lisburn centre ran wide to score a converted try. This gave the lads the much needed wake-up call.

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With the forwards working cohesively in all phases of play, scrumhalf Bell provided good ball for the backs, enabling Young, Parkhill and Brown to test the visitors’ defence with strong runs. A try was soon to follow when winger Kane cut inside, ran through several tackles only to be grounded in front of the posts. From the resulting ruck, Bell passed to full back Pattison who beat the Lisburn defence by running wide to score an unconverted try in the corner.

JUST GR'EIGHT'. The Ballymoney U-18 rugby team, who took on Lisburn at home on Saturday in a league encounter.INBM42-14 038SC.JUST GR'EIGHT'. The Ballymoney U-18 rugby team, who took on Lisburn at home on Saturday in a league encounter.INBM42-14 038SC.
JUST GR'EIGHT'. The Ballymoney U-18 rugby team, who took on Lisburn at home on Saturday in a league encounter.INBM42-14 038SC.

Five minutes later Ballymoney scored their second try when centre Brown ran strongly through the Lisburn defence and looked to score but was tackled short of the line and from the ensuing ruck, Bell passed to number eight, McConaghy, who stormed over the line, with three Lisburn tacklers trying in vain to bring him down, to score an excellent try which was converted by Pattison.

The forwards, in particular Graham and Adams, worked extremely hard to contain the big Lisburn pack, and they were rewarded for their endeavour when they turned over Lisburn ball inside their opponents’ twenty-two and the quick-thinking Parkhill ran in unimpeded to score an excellent try between the posts which was converted by Pattison, leaving the half-time score 19-7 to Ballymoney.

From the second half kick-off Ballymoney went on the offensive and pressurised Lisburn into making a number of mistakes. It was from one of these that prop Adams scored, when he broke from a maul and holding off two Lisburn defenders, scored a well worked try beside the posts, again converted by Pattison.

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Midway through the second half, a fumbled Lisburn ball was collected by Young who fed Pattison and the ever alert Bell was on hand to receive an inside pass from the fullback to run between the posts, scoring another try converted by Pattison.

With the Town relentless in their attacking style of play another try was on the cards. From a well- rehearsed line-out move on the Lisburn twenty two line, centre Parkhill was on hand to charge over the line to score another well-worked try to be converted by the confident boot of Pattison.

In the dying minutes a cross field kick from Young caused a state of disarray among the Lisburn defence. They were beaten to the ball by Brown, off-loading to Young who ran in from thirty metres out to score another try which presented Gary Pattison with his sixth conversion.

This was a great result for the lads and it was a marvellous team effort. However, one player who worked relentlessly throughout the game was prop forward Ben Adams who was named Man of the Match.

Next Saturday the Under 18s travel to Ards RFC for their league encounter.

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