SCRUMPTIOUS!

BALLYMONEY Ladies Rugby Team have marked their first season in competitive rugby by booking a place in the final of the Rosie Stewart Bowl.

The local lasses secured their final spot in the prestigious showpiece event by seeing off Cavan Ladies at Kilraughts Road on Sunday.

Captain Gill Powell said she was delighted with the win.

“We really didn’t know what to expect from the Cavan Ladies,” she added.

“We had our worries as we have a couple of girls out injured at the moment.

“However, credit must go to the team, as we focused on the job at hand and through good communication, strong tackling and accurate ball handling, we proved that our weeks of hard training can produce the desired result.”

On a day perfect for rugby, the Toon Ladies received the kick and immediately put the visitors under pressure, pushing them back deep into their own territory. This was to be the order of the day, as rarely were the Ballymoney Ladies inside their own half.

Strong scrummaging and quick hands from scrum half and Gill Powell were the order of the day, as time and again Ballymoney pushed Cavan backwards. Ever watchful out half Sam Hickinson worked the ball to centres Jodie McAneaney and Claire McLaughlin, setting up penetrating attacks by wingers Bronagh McDonnell and Paula Rosborough and ably assisted by full back Alex Shirlow.

Strong pack leadership was provided throughout the game by no. 8 Julie Newton, who continually led by example, breaching the visitors defence, providing blistering tackles and keeping the momentum going forward.

The strong front row forwards of Charlene McClaffery, Frances McIlmoyle and Andrea Barkley were driven forward in the scrums by the engine house second rows of Nicola Pattison and Heather Mitchell. Wing forwards Darlene Lyons and Carla Dickie provided pressure on the Cavan backline by bursting off the defensive scrum.

The Ballymoney lineout worked well throughout the game, the Ladies winning their fair share of their own put in and Cavan’s.

Midway through the first half, inside centre McAneaney fired the ball to her outside counterpart McLaughlin, who broke the Cavan line and ran in the first try, which was duly converted by Dickie. The score at the halfway point 7 – 0 to Ballymoney.

The second half again saw the Ballymoney Ladies put Cavan under pressure. From the kick, the ladies chased the opposition down, forcing errors from Cavan. Ten minutes in Newton grabbed the ball, before charging through the Cavan defence to score beneath the posts. Dickie again added the conversion.

In their bid to return home having scored at least some points the Cavan team made a charge on the Ballymoney defence, and through a moment of poor communication from Ballymoney, were able to score a converted try in the Ballymoney half.

Subs Lauren Boyd and sisters Judith and Emma Elliott, were on hand to provide relief to the tired Ballymoney legs and were introduced in the closing 15 minutes to provide a valuable contribution to the Ballymoney game.

The Ballymoney determination was evident as again the backline provided accurate ball to McLaughlin, who evaded the Cavan defence before running in her second score of the day. Dickie kicked the final points of the day bringing the final score to 21 – 7 to the Toon Ladies.

The final of the competition is expected to be held in April, the exact date and venue to be announced by the Ulster Branch.