LATE DOHERTY KICK SECURES 6TH IN A ROW
BANBRIDGE Under 18s 24 Portadown  3 
February 10, 2009

With four Bann players unavailable due to Ulster representative duty this game was down-graded to a friendly for the Gordon’s Chemist sponsored Under-18’s.

This looked to be the right decision early on as Portadown put pressure on and mauled a lineout 20 yards up the pitch, breaking away to score a converted try after only 5 minutes.

The game then balanced out as Portadown used the considerable wind in the first half to put pressure on the visiting team. Then 25 minutes into the game Portadown again scored a try leaving Bann 12 points in arrears, an unfamiliar position for a Bann side whose line had only once previously this season been breached twice in a game.

But the Rifle Park lads hit back strongly and Captain Jonny Weir made a charging run before off-loading to Andrew Kirkwood. The out-half slipped a pass out of a tackle to prop Aaron McDowell who sprinted in all of 15 metres. Mark Doherty added the extras.

Straight from the kick off the visitors attacked the Portadown line again and won a penalty which Doherty duly converted, leaving the score 12-8 at the half-time whistle.

With a strong wind on the Bann backs in the second half the game plan was to launch kicks into the opposition half and force mistakes or use the dominant figures of locks Nathan Martin and Ross Semple at the lineout. Within 5 minutes Andrew Kirkwood had knocked over a drop goal to leave the visitors a single point behind.

The game was played mainly in the Portadown half due to the strong wind with wing Gareth Hammond chasing down everything. And with 10 minutes to go Bann were awarded a penalty and Doherty again held his nerve to slot the ball between the posts. Portadown finished the game the stronger of the two sides but Banbridge held out to record their sixth straight win.

The league game between the teams has been rescheduled for Wednesday 28th January, and a repeat of Saturday’s win for Bann will earn them a play-off with Ballynahinch for the Ulster Premier League, Zone A, title.