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League Match: Clogher Valley 18 - 16 Donaghadee (18/03/00)

"On the mildest Saturday since last September, the usual large contingent of Donaghadee supporters descended on Fivemiletown last week to watch the Qualifying League game at Clogher Valley. The group was pleased to have with them Elizabeth and Ray Duff from Takapuna in New Zealand, on a visit to Ulster to see their son Matt and this beautiful country. The Donaghadee club hopes they have a memorable time here.

When the match started Donaghadee threw themselves into battle with some verve. The rucking of the forwards was tight, controlled and aggressive. Stand-in stand-off Simon Crowe understandably took a little time to accustom himself to his new role, with some of his kicking lacking direction, but he eventually settled in.

After a combined Martin-Duff rush, Simon did turn one good bit of possession into a wide-swinging back move right along the line until a despairing CV hand slapped the ball away just as a Donaghadee try looked inevitable. The home side came back into the game after this wake-up call, and Donaghadee were fortunate that they were not some points down after penalty awards to Clogher Valley were either simply missed or wasted on an unproductive scrum. From this latter set piece, Donaghadee tried to run the ball out from defence, but unfortunately lost the ball. They tried to kick it clear but the Clogher forwards claimed it, and then released it perfectly for their specialist-kicker centre to stroke over a fine dropped goal.

As the minutes ticked away in the first half it looked as though this one score might be all until the interval. Donaghadee were playing the best football on display, but also playing the worst - following stirring play with careless tackling and less than perfect skills. Clogher Valley were still working away at their game plan of conserving energy by stopping the play for a series of injuries, and keeping the game tight. Only three nil down, and with the slope and the wind to come seemed quite an attractive position for Donaghadee.

However twenty-five metres out from the Donaghadee line Andrew Dunn was unceremoniously lifted sideways out of the line-out as he was catching the ball and lit on his back. The ref immediately penalised and warned the CV man for foul play, but then almost as quickly reversed his penalty decision, because he viewed Andrew's push of protest on his assailant as the more serious offence because it was retaliation. The difference, of course, was that insteaad of a relieving kick to Donaghadee and the score still 3-0, it was now 6-0 to the men from Fivemiletown.

Early in the second half Clogher Valley ran the ball well almost the length of the field before they were stopped. Donaghadee were adjudged off-side at the following ruck, and from the penalty a horde of bodies crashed over the Dee line. The referee was certain that the result was a try, and the kick-after then took the score to a dismaying 13-0. Donaghadee now had a lot to do.

Just as the Donaghadee supporters were deciding that the ref would be compelled to rule that all scrums would have to be uncontested, such was the frequency of time-sapping injuries to the Clogher Valley forwards, a "proper" scrum was won about ten metres out from the home line, and that man Aaron Martin picked up and went over after one of his unstoppable runs.

Shortly afterwards Donaghadee suffered the blow of losing Graham McMinn their scrum half. Ginge was slammed just after he had got rid of the ball and went over badly on his ankle. Kurt Courtney had to step into his old school position and Nigel Forsythe left the pack to play wing. Both played well in their new positions, but having to contest a hard league match with only fourteen men is never easy. When Ginge was next seen after his long trip back to the Ulster Hospital, it was discovered that he had incurred a pretty bad break to a bone in his foot. The Donaghadee club wish him a speedy recovery, and trust that it will not be too long before he is back in action.

The gods must have been determined to equal things up because soon after this incident the home backs crept off-side giving Jeff Allen the chance to add another three points and make the game score 13-10. It looked as though Donaghadee were now right back in it. But somehow against the prevailing Donaghadee tide, CV managed to mount a forward rush, followed by a good crossfield back movement which sent their right wing in at the corner for what it must be conceded was an excellent try.

In their desperate defence Clogher Valley now in quick succession jumped off-side twice. Jeff Allen made no mistakes with either kick and the game was now poised 18-16 to the home team. A few minutes later and Donaghadee had another, and clearly last, chance to win the game when the opposition got offside again. To the chagrin of all the tip-toed Dee supporters, Jeff shaved the outside of the upright and the ball went dead. The referee signalled no goal and no side almost with the same blast. This was a game which could have been won, and perhaps should have been won. It would be easy to blame the long trip to west Tyrone, but away games must be won if a team has ambitions to be promoted. One hopes that ther Dee players agree that this was not their best display of the season, and that Limavady will be caught on Saturday in the fall-out. This should be one to enjoy."