Senior Cup semi-final heartache

City of Derry...27

City of Derry suffered First Trust Ulster Cup semi-final heartache, on Saturday when they just came up short against favourites Ballymena, in a tremendous clash at Judges Road.

The result was in doubt right up to the final whisle as a consequence of Derry coughing up two early converted tries in the first ten minutes and an intercept try just before half-time to leave them playing catch-up for the remainder of the game.

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The home side finished the game amid a whirlwind of pressure that saw them almost extract victory from the jaws of defeat as they had Ballymena on the rack in what was a memorable game.

The early pressure came from Ballymena as Derry naively tried to run the ball from inside their own twenty two metre line and quick turnover ball gave Daryl O’Kane the chance to storm over for a try on two minutes which was converted by David O’Hara to give his side a 7-0 lead.

The Eaton Park boys repeated the dose on ten minutes when Derry coughed up ball once more and out half Irwin ran a beautiful line to link up with the ubiquitous Andrew Kerr to score by the posts and with O’Hara converting once more leaving Ballymena 14-0 ahead.

Bevan Lynch’s side upped their game and Richard McCarter was unlucky on ten minutes from a penalty when his shot hit the posts. The Derry scrum dominated all through with Chris Shields, Sam McAuley and Sam Duffy supported by Brian Prue and David Houston gave their team the ascendancy in the set pieces.

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The Judges Road men produced on twenty minutes following a series of scrums and penalties where Stephen Corr, Mark Walker and the Man of the Match Richard Baird dominated for Baird to waltz over for an unconverted try to reduce the arrears for Derry to 5-14.

Derry were unfortunately to be caught off side on 31 minutes and David O’Hara kicked Ballymena into a 17-5 lead. The Derry scrum were the catalyst for the next score on 35 minutes where they dominated once more and with Ballymena infringing McCarter punished from 25 metre to reduce the deficit to 17-8 for Ballymena.

It was all Derry pressure now and it looked like another score as David Funston, Ryan Campbell, Chris Barber and the outstanding Mark Walker came close to crossing the Ballymena line. Derry went for jugular and were eventually turned over on the stroke of half time when attacking five metres from the Ballymena line they were turned over and Caolan Fitzpatrick ran the length of the pitch to score a try which was converted by O’Hara to give Ballymena a 24-8 lead at the break.

Derry started the second half in positive fashion and got themselves right back in the game on two minutes following a brilliant break by Baird from the half way line which unlocked the Ballymena defence and when stopped 10 metres out Andrew Semple found McCarter who ghosted in for a try which he converted himself from the corner to reduce the arrears to 13-24.

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Derry’s undoing was their penalty’s conceded and O’Hara cashed in once again on 10 and 13 minutes to increase Ballymena’s lead to 30-13.

The home side turned down a penalty shot on 15 minutes for a scrum 20 metres out which came to nothing and it was tem minutes later before the game was put right back in the melting pot when Richard McCarter intercepted inside his own half to run 60 metres for a try in the corner once again which he converted himself to put Derry right back in the game losing by 20-30. Derry infringed again on 30 minutes and gave O’Hara a simple chance to increase Ballymena’s lead to 33pts to 20pts.

Derry to their credit were down but not out and back they came with a band storming finish that almost snatched victory from the jaws of defeat when on the stroke of fulltime Baird drove from a scrum 15 metres out and with Ballymena in reverse McCarter got in for a try which he converted himself to leave the score 33-27 in Ballymena’s favour.

Injury time beckoned and it was all Derry pressure for the next seven minutes and with Ballymena on the ropes a gallant Judges Road outfit threw everything at the opposition with gay abandon but were unable to get the points needed for victory in what was an outstanding game of rugby football.

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City of Derry: Chris Shields, Sam McAuley Sam Duffy, David Houston, Brian Prue, Stephen Corr, Mark Walker, Richard Baird, Andrew Semple, Richard McCarter, Josh Lewis, Ryan Campbell, David Founston, David Graham. Replacements: Gareth Beattie, Cathal Creggan, Bob McKillop, Stephen Ferguson, Richard Peoples.