2010-10-09 / Suttonians / AIL Home:
Armagh 24 - City of Derry 13
Armagh 24pts, City of Derry 13pts
City of Derry Rugby Club suffered their first league defeat of the season on Saturday lasts when Armagh ran out deserving winners against their North West rivals. This was Derry’s first defeat in the Ulster Qualifying League since they were relegated the season before last. City of Derry coach said after the game “congratulations to Armagh their thoroughly deserved their victory. They won all the ball on the ground and we failed to impose ourselves on the game for any sustained period of time. The video never lies and our players we will have a look at where we failed during the coming week. We will have to learn and improve if we are to compete at the top of this league. Armagh has now set the standard and we will have to improve all aspects of our play. We have a hard fixture away to Cooke in Belfast next Saturday and following their great victory today at Ballymoney we will have to improve drastically”.
Armagh suffered four narrow defeats at the hands of Derry last season when they were knocked out of the two cup competitions and their league chances were shattered by their nemesis that was City of Derry Rugby Club. This comprehensive victory by Armagh will have got the Derry monkey off their backs and ensured that the Qualifying League will be a competitive spectacle this season compared to last year when City of Derry had things their own way.
Armagh started the game on Saturday last playing with a strong breeze and were soon on the scoreboard, when after two minutes Derry were caught offside and Out Half Adam Gowing converted the resulting penalty from 25 meters. Derry had a chance to level things from the kick-off but Richard McCarter missed a penalty from 35 metres. Armagh was in the ascendency and used the breeze regularly to gain territory with Adam Gowing controlling the game for them.
The decisive early try came on ten minutes when following good play by the Armagh back row of Clarke, Hughes and Captain James Morton who were dominating both ball on the ground and open play. They won controlled go forward ball for the Armagh backs and Gowing released Manu who created space for winger Andrew Willis to score in the corner. The Derry pack failed to create any phases of play and handling mistakes both from set piece ball and loose play led to their backs not getting any decent possession.
Two further penalties from Gowing on Fifteen and twenty five minutes was just reward for Armagh possession. Derry had Chris Cooper sin binned for the last ten minutes of the first half. They say you make your own luck in any game but a speculative kick by Manu to relieve Derry pressure saw a ball that everyone thought was going into touch 30 metres out from the Derry line take a deceptive bounce to deceive the Derry cover and left Armagh winger Eddie Irwin amazed at his good fortune to motor in for a converted try under the posts. Derry to their credit came back and on the stroke of half time good scrum ball 25 metres out saw Richard McCarter release winger Ryan Campbell to show his pace and strength to score under pressure in the cornet to leave the half time score 21pts to 5pts in Armagh’s favour.
Derry turned with wind in their backs after half time but early pressure was easily replied by a dominant Armagh pack. Derry needed an early score and it came on twelve minutes. Steven Simms had come on for a blood injury to Ryan Campbell, the first bit of decent possession saw David Founston and Josh Lewis combine to take play down the right hand touchline to within 10 metres of the Armagh line. Derry produced quick ball and Rickard McCarter had the vision to see Simms free on the left touchline and kick a forty metre cross field pass to Simms who fielded with ease to score wide out.
The home supporters were nervous and the expectation was that Derry would take control. Armagh to a man rose to the occasion and never looked in danger of loosing this vital encounter. Gowing missed a penalty chance immediately after Derry scored and Mc Carter converted a penalty for Derry on twenty minutes. Armagh finished strongly against the wind and Gowing converted a penalty on thirty minutes to emphasise Armagh’s dominance. Derry were pinned in their own half for the last ten minutes of the game and the chance of a late try to give the Maiden City boys a loosing bonus point never looked possible.
City of Derry Team: Peter Henderson, Josh Lewis, David Founston, Jared Bennett, Ryan Campbell, Richard McCarter, Andrew Semple, David Houston, Stephen Corr, Chris Cooper, Bob McKillop, Philip Brady, Sam Duffy, Sam McAuley, Chris Shields. Replacements: Cathal Creggan, Stephen Simms.
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