Seconds finish with a win

Both sides opted for very different gameplans. Ophir wanted to keep the ball with their pack as much as possible while Lurgan aimed to spread the play as often as possible.

The two sides matched each other kick for kick leaving the match at 6-6 with Lurgan’s points coming from the boot of Josh McKay.

Lurgan were thriving in broken play with Peter Logan making great ground from the back row. It was no surprise when Logan burst through to set up Andi Stevenson for a try, though the scrum half still had to evade two tackles before touching down.

Stevenson got another try mid-way through the second half after Lurgan had soaked up a lot of pressure from the home side. Jamie Pedlow made the break this time and he unselfishly passed to Stevenson to allow him to move clear as the Seconds’ leading try scorer. McKay converted as he had done in the first half.

Ophir came at Lurgan again with their forwards trying to bulldoze a way through. Lurgan held firm, despite going down to 14 men, only conceding in the last minute by which time it was too late for a comeback.

Andi Stevenson’s two tries earned him a bottle of Lurgan Champagne for his efforts although he was given a run for his money by Peter Logan and Josh McKay.

The victory was the fourth win of a season from a bunch of players who proved willing to stand up and be counted throughout the season. Also of note was the team’s commitment which saw them fulfill all of their fixtures and support the club at fundraising events off the field.