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League Match: Civil Service 3 - 0 Donaghadee (29/01/00)

"DONAGHADEE DOWN BY A KICK

As the steady stream of Donaghadee's followers arrived at Stormont last Saturday the strong westerly wind which was blowing diagonally across the pitch warned each of them that this game with Civil Service was not going to be a pretty one. The pitch itself was in excellent order, but the sudden gusts in the wind were going to test every kick, pass and catch.

As the game unfolded it became obvious that it indeed would be as tight and dour a struggle as expected. In fact, apart from the pretty consistent tackling shown by both sides, there was little of note in the match. Donaghadee probably were the better in the rucks and mauls but Service were superior in the the lineouts. This was partly due to the enforced late Donaghadee change at hooker. Matt Duff hurt himself late in the week and Thomas Trainor had only been able to replace him at the last moment, and to expect someone to be pin-point accurate with his throw-ins with no opportunity to practice would be unreasonable.

With the benefit of the wind in the first half Civil Service pegged the ball into the Donaghadee defensive corner for most of the half, the pressure only being relieved by a couple of exciting runs out of defence by the Donaghadee backs. A half-time score of nil-each seemed to favour Donaghadee as they turned round to have the wind with them.

In the second half Donaghadee took their turn putting Civil Service under pressure in the same corner as they had attacked in the first. Donaghadee had the same amount of success as their opponents had had -none! Anyone who harbours the notion that an attacking line-out on your opponents' line will result in an almost certain score should have been at Stormont. Out of between twenty-five and thirty line-outs on the goal line between them, not one was successful. Either the attackers were clumsy, understandable in the gusty conditions, or else the defenders performed heroics to keep the attackers out.

Incredibly, in the modern game, it began to look as though the match was going to be a pointless draw, but on a rare attack by Service the Donaghadee backs were adjudged off-side, which can only have been after an extremely long advantage. Crucially the penalty was awarded plumb in front of the Donaghadee posts. The wind would really have needed to be a hurricane to deflect the ball from its errand to gain the hosts three points.

Donaghadee went straight back into the attack, but were held out time and time again. Almost at the end Donaghadee forced a maul a few metres out from the Service line, with all the Dee forwards and even some of the backs throwing themselves into it for a last big effort. The pressure told and the ball suddenly was taken over the goal-line. The Donaghadee players and those supporters who were close reckoned this was the winner - only for the referee to say that from where he was standing he could not see, and ruled that there was enough doubt for him to deny the try. There was to be no more scoring, and Civil Service were the winners by virtue of converting the only penalty kick attempt all day.

There was not a great deal in this game for the rugby fan to savour. Nevertheless the legions who follow the town team loyally stuck it out to the end. Their commitment can occasionally be expressed as a partisan criticism, but when properly channelled as constructive support it can lift their team. The club's Towns' Cup encounter this Saturday against Lisburn at the Newtownards Road ground will be greatly helped by a big crowd letting both teams know that it will be Donaghadee who will be progressing to the next round."