Seconds share Towns Cup

Ballyclare made a bright start helped by Derry not putting the kick off 10 metres.

Ballyclare opened the scoring on seven minutes when flanker Gary Weatherup finished off a slick handling move and they had worked an overlap full back Robert Smith added the conversion.

Derry full-back David Murdock saved another try when he won a foot race to a probing kick over the top and Ballyclare conceded a penalty when they went off their feet at the ruck.

Smith missed another penalty after Derry were guilty off holding on in the tackle.

Ballyclare were nearly in for their second try following another slick move but winger Nathan Loughlin’s pass to Smith drifted forward on the wind.

Derry got back into the game with their first sortie into Ballyclare’s 22. They kicked a penalty to the corner and from the driving maul Bob McKillop was powered over with centre Richard Peoples levelling the scores with the conversion after 21 minutes.

Ballyclare regained the lead with their second try on 36 minutes, flanker Willie Logan led a counter attack, he offloaded to centre Stuart Cussack he use his pace to draw the last defender before giving the scoring pass to Gary Weatherup who went under the posts for his second try and Smith added the conversion.

Peoples missed a chance to narrow the led when he was off target with a penalty.

Derry finished the half strongly with the pack making the hard yards and they should have a try but No8 Ross Scott dropped the ball close to the line meaning Ballyclare went into the interval 14-7 up.

Ballyclare started the second period strongly and increased their lead on 44 minutes when their scrum forced a penalty and Smith knocked over the simple kick.

Derry got back in the game with McKillop’s second try three minutes later, out half Adam Park made a break, flanker Mark Walker took it close to the line but was held up, the ball was quickly recycled and McKillop crashed under the posts from close range and Peoples slotted over the simple conversion.

As Derry started to get a foothold in the game Ballyclare started to make mistakes and they had captain Maurice Finlay sin binned and Peoples landed the resulting penalty from in front of the posts to level the scores.

Ballyclare should have scored when they created an overlap but Walker put in a try saving tackle on Smith.

Ballyclare earned a penalty but Smith’s strike came back of the upright.

Walker turned over the ball for Derry and went on a break the ball when lose and Derry hacked on forcing Ballyclare to carry over their own try line.

From the resulting five metre Derry forced a penalty and Peoples slotted over the kick from in from of the posts to give the Judge’s Road side the lead for the first time with 15 minutes left.

Peoples had a chance to extend Derry’s lead after Ballyclare were punished for a high tackle but he pushed his penalty to the right of the posts.

Ballyclare missed a glorious chance to win the game when they created an overlap but replacement prop Gareth Byers dropped the ball with his winger free outside him.

Gary Weatherup nearly won it for Ballycalre when he went on a great break but he was stopped in the 22 by Peter Blenerhasset.

In a fanatic finish Derry had Gary Boyle sin binned and they turned down two kickable penalties but when they were awarded a third penalty Smith scored from in front of the posts to tie the scores at 20-20 and send the game to extra time.

Ballyclare had Smith sin binned but Peoples missed with the resulting penalty.

Peoples gave Derry the lead with a simple penalty from in front of the posts with two minutes of the first period of extra time remaining.

JJ Baird levelled the scores with a penalty for Ballyclare with the last kick of the first period of extra time.

Ballyclare kicked the restart out on the full and from the resulting scrum Derry pivot Phil Duffy broke down the blindside and had enough pace to go over from halfway but Peoples missed the conversion.

The scores were tied again when Ballyclare won a penalty, they run it and Loughlin went over in the corner but Smith couldn’t convert.

City of Derry: D Murdock, P Blenerhassett, G Boyle, R Peoples, A Blair, A Parke, P Duffy, S Duffy, C Cregan, R Balfour, B McKillop, J Fawcett, J Lyons, M Walker, R Scott. Replacements: S Duffy, G Beaty, R Harkin, S Brennan, R Logue.

Ballyclare: R Smith, M Weatherup, S Cussack, D Clarke, N Loughlin, N Lawther, C Morrow, R Henderson, M Finlay, A Boyd, R Boyd G McKinstry, W Logan, G Weather, M Rainey. Replacements: I Holmes, R Hall, A Wardrop, G Byers, J Baird.