Lynch's side continue to march on

BEVAN Lynch's City of Derry side scored seven tries in their Kukri Qualifying League victory over Cooke at Judges Road on Saturday.

This win puts Derry joint top of the league with their old rivals Armagh with both teams having played the same number of games.

Derry found it hard to transfer possession and some clear overlap situations into point in the first half. The two out halves Mark O'Connor for Derry and Phil Cartmill for Cooke exchanged penalties in the first 20 minutes to level the score at 3 points each.

The Judges Road players and supporters were becoming frustrated as the first half progressed and that elusive first try seemed as if it never would arrive.

The Derry pack were always dominant and Man of the Match Stephen Corr at No 8 was showing his backs how to run at the opposition making inroads behind the gain line on several occasions.

The home side got their first try on 35 minutes when excellent line-out ball from David Houston saw Chris Shields, Bob McKillop and Sam Duffy drive forward and allow hooker Sam McAuley touch down for an unconverted try.

The referee seemed to play an inordinate amount of extra time in the first half which was right up Derry's street at they had just clicked as a team.

The home side completely dominated the closing minutes of the first half. David Houston made a great 30 meter break deep inside the Cooke half and winger Josh Lewis tracked behind him from the far wing to be on hand to receive the ball and touchdown with O'Connor adding the extras.

The kick-off saw Derry win possession and two quick phases of play later the Cooke cover was drawn to the right side of the pitch. Good vision by O'Connor allowed him to find Simon Logue with a 40 meter cross field kick, Logue passed inside to David Funston who scored by the posts and with O'Connor converting, Derry led by 22 points to 3 points at the break.

The first 20 minutes of the second half were a replica of the first half with Derry struggling to turn possession into scores. The game changed completely on 20 minutes with Derry on the attack and having a sustained period of pressure 10 metres in front of the Cooke posts.

Cooke committed a number of indiscretions and had a man sin binned for 10 minutes and within seconds when Derry scrum half Andrew Semple was fouled while taking a quick penalty Cooke lost another man to the bin. The game was then over for Cooke.

Derry took a scrum in front of the posts and Semple trotted in for the bonus point try with O'Connor converting.

Five minutes later Derry were on the scoreboard again, Funston kicked ahead and was assisted by Logue and Mark O'Connor collected to score a try out wide which he converted himself. Derry were now running riot and good play from backs and forwards allowed Stephen Simms to score an unconverted try wide out.

Cooke got their full compliment of players back on the pitch as the game neared the end and they had one flowing move on thirty five minutes that allowed winger Richard Bunn to score an unconverted try in the corner.

Derry had the last score on the stroke of time when young centre Jarred Bennett made a fine break and Ryan Campbell scored an unconverted try from the resultant ruck to leave Derry comfortable winners with another game ticked off and five points in the bag in their quest to retain their Kukri Qualifying League title.

Head coach Bevan Lynch said after the game: "We struggled first half to capitalise on good possession when we had extra numbers in attack. We will have to be far sharper and more clinical when it comes to finishing hard won field position.

"Fair play to the players they have done everything requested of them and we are where we wanted to be when we started this final push to the summit."

City of Derry: C Shields, S McAuley, S Duffy, Bob McKillop (Capt), David Houston, K Gemmell, M Walker, S Corr, A Semple, M O'Connor, R Campbell, J Bennett, D Funston, J Lewis, S Logue. Subs: C Creggan, S Simms.