BANN 14s STRUGGLE TO COPE WITH CONDITIONS
Portadown  24  BANBRIDGE Under 14s 10
January 10, 2009

Portadown completed the double over their U-14 rivals from Banbridge, thanks to three early tries gifted to them by the visitors.

The early exchanges suggested there was little to choose between the teams. But with Portadown winning the territorial battle with the help of a strong wind blowing diagonally across the pitch, Bann’s tactic of trying to run the ball upfield through their threequarters ultimately proved their undoing.

Dropped passes and untidied loose balls were seized upon by the home side to get in behind the defence and create those early scores.

Nineteen points separated the sides at the break, but Bann made early inroads into that with full-back Aaron Blakely out-pacing the cover defence for his team’s opening score.

And when No 8 Jonny McCreery powered down the right touchline to add a second unconverted try and so reduce the lead to nine points the odds had swung to favour the visitors. But the Portadown defence wasn’t about to cave in and despite Bann’s best efforts they were unable to add to their tally.

With both sides bringing their replacements into action, Portadown put the result beyond doubt with an unconverted try in the closing minutes.

Prop Matthew Beck had another fine game for the visitors, while in the backline centre William Baird ran and tackled hard throughout.