Lynch's side keep title hopes alive

THE conditions at Upritchard Park, Bangor on Tuesday night were not conducive to running rugby.

Following sleet and rain all day the pitch was saturated and with heavy under foot conditions as the game started, the City of Derry players had a rude awakening following the highs of their All Ireland Junior Cup victory on Saturday last.

The referee was whistling Derry off the park and the penalty count at the end of the game was 39 to 5 in Bangors favour.

Derry were to start the game with six changes form last Saturday but with two players not making it to Bangor, Bob McKillop who was been rested had to start and Mark Hamill from the 3rd XV was on the bench. Karl Gemmel was summoned to come from Derry and he arrived 10 minutes into the second half.

Derry attacked early and got a kickable penalty on five minutes but kicked for touch. Great line out ball courtesy of Philip Brady and a catch and drive allowed Sam McAuley to score a try in the corner.

Derry had to work hard against a very committed Bangor team who reduced the arrears on 25 minutes with a penalty. Andrew Semple made a great break from his own half on 35 minutes and found Colin Mitchell who broke two tackles to score an unconverted try to leave Derry leading at half time by 10 points to 3 points.

The second half became more of a slog with the pitch cutting up badly. Derry received a severe blow on 19 minutes when captain McKillop was sin binned. Armagh threw everything at Derry and camped inside the Derry 22 meter line. Karl Gimmell had joined the fray and great defence held Bangor at bay.

Derry eventually got decent territory and to a man they all dug deep and following a series of controlled pick and drives Philip Brady touched down for an unconverted try.

McKillop returned from the bin and Derry got on top but were unable the get the elusive fourth try for a bonus point.

The game entered the fifth minute of injury time and Derry were on the Bangor line but a breakout took play into the Derry half.

Simon Logue who was making his debut start on the wing returned the ball with a great run down the left wing. The ball was moved to the right along the back line and that man Mark O'Connor was on hand once again to score a memorable try to give Derry a hard earned bonus point victory. O'Connor kicked the conversion to replicate his feat of last Saturday when he also scored a try and converted it to win the All Ireland Junior Cup for Derry with the last play of the game.