Seconds fail to score away to Armagh

Bann Seconds 0

BANN Seconds travelled to top Junior Qualifying League side Armagh on Saturday in the Junior Cup.

Whilst there were high hopes of a good showing, the Bann men knew that it would be a tall order to take a win away with them.

Bann started the game brightly and after receiving the kick off, were able to put Armagh on the back foot. After being awarded a penalty from 30 metres, Clark McAllister was just wide in trying to open the scoring.

From the re-start Armagh then showed their intentions with a series of sweeping back moves, underpinned by solid ball retention. This period of pressure yielded the first try under the posts, with the protests of two Bann players that the ball was held up falling on deaf ears.

Bann struggled to deal with the slick interplay that was to repeatedly force them onto the back foot, and after 15 minutes they were 14-0 down when the Armagh prop drove over the line after the home team had secured good lineout possession.

After 21 minutes Armagh again stretched their lead when a try was scored on their right wing after more good interplay. Although 21-0 down, Bann had shown between the Armagh scores some attacking potential of their own. But on two such occasions, when a score was odds on by the forwards, they contrived to allow Armagh to clear their lines, counter-attacking the second time to telling effect as they added a fourth converted try.

With the set scrum the only aspect of the visitors’ machine functioning with any authority, it was no surprise that the Bann men elected for a five metre set piece when awarded a penalty. They confidently drove over the line, but the referee disallowed the try by claiming the loose head was boring in, even though it was obvious that the Bann scrum remained straight at all times and the Armagh forwards were wheeling without any push.

This ended the first half with the score at 28-0, but Bann, although deservedly in arrears, feeling that there were very crucial and dubious decisions against them.

Armagh built steadily on their lead after the break, adding a further seven tries as Bann failed to deal with the home team’s impressive support play which was creating space time and again.

The final scoreline was extremely disappointing, given the fact that the Bann scrum had throughout the game shown their superior power, but this was needlessly negated by the failure of the backs to complement their front eight’s efforts, and vice versa when the backs were looking to create space.

Although Armagh were deserved winners, Bann have the knowledge that it was their lack of punishing tackles that allowed the Armagh backs the space to keep the ball in hand and away from the Bann pack.

Bann Seconds are at home to Ballymena Seconds this Saturday in a game that will provide them with the opportunity to sort out last week’s problems.