2011-02-19 / Ards / AIL Home:
City of Derry RFC 19pts, Armagh 17pts
All Ireland Junior Cup Final
City of Derry, with one last throw of the dice, in the last play of the game, scored a try courtesy of Mark O'Connor to draw level at 17pts each and the same player, with the conversion from the touchline robbed Armagh of what would have been a deserved victory on their performance over the previous 84 minutes. The last minute of injury time saw Derry carry the ball from their own line to score at the other end of the pitch to prove fortune favors the brave. Derry were pinned in their own 22 meter area for the previous five minutes and tried to no avail to run from their own line and turned over possession twice to the opposition. Then came the minute in time in which this current City of Derry team created history for themselves and their Club by winning an All Ireland Cup for the first time.
Following overnight frost the early morning pitch inspection at Dubarry Park, Athlone confirmed that the massive support from Derry and Armagh would not be disappointed with a postponement. The atmosphere pre game was electric with the expectation from previous encounters between these two great rivals that it would be an encounter to savor. The supporters were not disappointed the game was ebb and flow early with Armagh having the better of the initial exchanges. Derry’s first foray to the Armagh 22 meter line saw Richard McCarter release Mark O’Connor who almost got clear to score, Armagh came off side at the breakdown and from the resultant penalty, while everybody else slept, a quick tap by Andrew Semple allowed him score a try in the corner to put Derry 5pts up.
Armagh were playing a percentage kicking game and two mistakes from Derry allowed Adam Gowring to put Armagh a point in front with two converted penalties on 17 and 26 minutes. Derry tried to move the ball through their backs and Rudi Moore and Peter Henderson threatened on a couple of occasions with support from David Funston and Jaryd Bennett. The game produced a major play on the half hour when Richard McCarter charged down his opposite number Gowring to collect and sprint 50 meter to score under the posts with O’Connor converting for a 7 pointer. Derry did not control the kick off and after sustained Armagh pressure a penalty allowed Gowring to bring the half time score to 12pts to 9pts and a slender lead for City of Derry.
The tension mounted after half time, Armagh had a penalty miss on 5 minutes and after sustained Derry pressure and strong scrummaging O’Connor also missed a difficult kick at goal. David Witherow, Sam McAuley and Sam Duffy had the better of the scrummaging exchanges and when Witherow was obstructed when hacking the ball forward Derry missed another penalty from 30 meters in front of the posts.
There was a defining point in the game on 15 minutes when David Houston was sin binned mistakenly when a team mate foot tripped Gowing after chipping the ball forward. Armagh took play to the Derry line and once winger Eddie Irwin who could find space in a crowded telephone box got a sniff on the blind side he went in for a great try despite the valiant efforts of Sam McAuley. The Derry pack had to dig deep and go to war to compensate for the loss of Houston. Bob McKillop gave a captains lead and was well supported by Stephen Corr, Karl Gemmell and Mark Walker, they all worked tirelessly to survive the Armagh onslaught. Peter Henderson was unlucky not to score on twenty five minutes when he sliced open the Armagh defense courtesy of a delayed pass from McCarter which was deemed to be forward by the referee. Armagh put themselves into a five point lead on 29 minutes thanks to a Gowring penalty.
The Derry Coach Bevan Lynch looked to his bench on 30 minutes and replaced Bob McKillop and Sam McAuley with Philip Brady and Jason Mitchell. Derry got to the Armagh 22 meter line with a just five minutes on the clock and won a penalty and decided to go for broke and kick for touch to try and level the game. Derry caught and drove but were stopped short and went to the backs but Armagh cleared to the other end. Armagh were trying to run down the clock and had Derry penned in their own 22 with the clock ticking away.
Derry played high risk rugby and tried to move the ball to break the Armagh snare-like suffocation on their own line. They moved the ball left but were caught and turned over when Armagh got greater numbers to the breakdown. The pack had to dig deep to stop Armagh short of the line and turn over possession. Again Derry moved the ball right along their own line and were stopped. The Derry team were virtually out on their feet but they went to the well once more. The game entered injury time and Derry eventually got to the half way line only to turn over possession once more to Armagh. The loose ball fell to Eddie Irwin above all people who appeared to have a clear run to the line to be seal the game with a winning try.
However, the Derry full back, Peter Henderson, had four yards to make up but had Irwin in his sights and nailed him deep inside the 22 meter line. The Derry cavalry arrived to secure possession and so start their march to victory. The forwards drove on for a couple of phases and Andrew Semple found O’Connor who carried the ball to the half way line where he was stopped but hacked the ball forward, Stephen Corr won a fifty fifty ball on the ground supported by Mitchell and Brady. Then enter the Golden Boy from Drumsurn, Mark O’Connor. Richard McCarter got possession to release O’Connor who had just entered Mark’s World to run in 25 meters to score a try in the corner that will be remembered for ever and a day by everyone who was there to witness it.
The sides were now level but with the last kick of the game O’Connor nailed the conversion from the touch line for a two point victory for Derry. The referee blew the final whistle as the players and supporters went wild with excitement and the celebrations began. The President of the IRFU John Callaghan, an Armagh man, presented the All Ireland Cup to the Derry Captain Bob McKillop.
City of Derry Team; Peter Henderson, Rudi Moore, David Funston, Jaryd Bennett, Mark O’Connor, Richard McCarter, Andrew Semple, David Witherow, Sam McAuley,
Sam Duffy, David Houston, Bob McKillop (Capt), Karl Gemmell, Mark Walker, Stephen Corr. Replacements; Jason Mitchell, Chris Shields, Stephen Ferguson, Stephen Simms, Adam Bratton, Simon Logue.
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