|
|
Dooley cup report | Fri 01st Sep 2006 | | Team:- Les, Garry S, Hugh, Eddie, Nigel, Gareth (from rainey old boys), Stewarty, Calamity, Timmy, Brian, Clive, Gillsy, smiler, Ross smith and his mate.
The usual strabane punctuality was at the fore on Saturday for the dooley cup with les showing up with his supporters club and gerry. The rest of the team (all 9 of them) then showed up not that late,. We had a discussion in the car park as we had a grand total of 10 players as big nige was running late. We heard a voice shouting 'do you need a player' Some of us looked above for a god like rugby figure, however we got Gareth. He told us he had drove all the way from Ballymoney and the rainey boys where still in Magherafelt as they couldnt get a driver so he slotted into our vacant second row position easily. Paul then showed up and Garry thought his prayers where answered but he said he was playing for innishowen. Ah well Gerry said he would get a player easily.
We went for the warm up and heard the first match was against City of derry and our hopes where high. Coleraine kindly leant us the 2 players we were missing so all was great. We started off really well for a thrown together team and the first contact play of the season with us going 3-0 up in the first half from steady pressure and a great kick from Garry in front of the posts. The second half didnt start quite as well as Derry decided to get the finger out and the subs they used made the difference. Constant pressure in the 22 eventually led them to a break across the back line and out to my wing. I managed to nail the winger and put in a perfect tackle. However in my exurberane I decided to throw him backwards unfortunately this meant over our line as i was facing the wrong way and the ref awarded the score while laughing to himself that I had threw him!!! They missed the conversion and we headed back to kick of. At this stage ive no idea what went wrong but some terrible passing and general all round silly decisions led to Derry getting another soft try in the corner. Wasnt long till it was match over and we all calved with manys a lung being cleared with cigarettes!
The next match was the old firm derby with us again drawing omagh. Omagh had a young team and much slagging was had between them and our glorious captain. Anyway this was a much tighter match with fewer line outs. This worked in our favour as the scrum was working well and the line outs where not! This may be something to do with me as I was now flanking and hadnt a clue what I was at. Much to big niges annoyance as he had a perfect pick up at the back of the scrum but the scrumhalf nailed him after getting passed a very soft flanker who was still bound on More teaching for me! Anyway it was nip and tuck in the middle of the field with everybody making the tackles and covering ground and us again getting into a position where garry slotted another 3 points. Omagh tried hard and did get up to the line again although the tight strabane defence held them at bay.
We then drew Derry YM. They had slaughtered Omagh and had a longer break than us so things where not looking good. It was widely assumed that most of the YM firsts had arrived as the pace and ball handling was a joy to watch. Although not when it was against us. They had us beat well and truely in the scrum as hugh found out, particulary when the ref told the YM prop to go easy on us as they where bigger and stronger. This seemed to get hugh wound up and there was going to be handbags although he quickly got back into his normal calm frame of mind. YM eventually managed to put 3 tries in against us although we did a lot better than we though p[articulary as we then saw YM run 4 tries in against Innishowen on their way into the final!
All in all it was a great saturdays craic and here is to more fun and frolics and a more successful season (for the seconds anyway) than last. |
|