UBL 12th November 2016
Scorers: Corrigan(1*Try), O'Hagan(1*Try), Andrew(1*Try), Laidler(2*Conv, 2*Pen)
Supporters travelling to Rainey Old Boys' games in the Ulster Bank League have had some dramatic late happenings to talk about this season and an almost unbelievable situation was to come about when they went down to the Midlands for the club's first-ever meeting with Tullamore. Having worked hard to contain a very useful home side and then build up a healthy 25-7 lead, it all started to go wrong for Rainey in the last few minutes when they would have been hoping to grab a try-scoring bonus point. On the intervention of a touch judge, Rainey prop Stephen Rutledge was yellow carded for an illegal tackle and a minute later a similar punishment was meted out to Tommy O'Hagan for interfering at the side of a ruck. In order for the game to be completed with uncontested scrums, Rainey had to sacrifice another player. They now faced the prospect of playing the last ten minutes with only twelve men.
Rainey defended stoutly to move away from their 22', but were stretched to overhaul a Tullamore player who found a gap. They got back well, but with plenty of empty spaces out wide, Tullamore scored in the corner and converted. With two minutes remaining, Rainey's restart kick was easily taken by a now rampant home side who poured forward to score beneath the posts. Fortunately for Rainey, the final whistle followed the conversion, leaving them 25-21 winners. While winning the game was the most important thing, they were disappointed to have conceded two very late tries for the third time in seven outings.
Rainey remain top of the table,a point ahead of Navan who picked up a bonus point in beating Boyne. Bangor move above Tullamore into third spot. Joining Lees and Burgess on the injury list are Ronan (shoulder) and Michael (knee) McCusker who both had to retire in the second half. Rainey's future prospects hinge on the fitness of these players.
There was no wind at Spollenstown where the pitch was firmer than expected after the heavy rain of the previous 24 hours. Rainey had the better of the opening exchanges, but it was Tullamore who went in front after nine minutes with the softest of tries. From a scrum near the Rainey posts, scrum-half Wilson, who has missed much of the action this season with hamstring trouble, lost his footing and spilled the ball for an opponent to dot down for a gift score. Rainey bounced back and played most of the rugby, but mixed the good with the bad in a frustrating first half hour. Full-back Laidler knocked over a close range penalty as replacement forwards O'Hagan and John McCusker wasted no time making an impact and two tries in the last six minutes of the half was just what the doctor ordered. A series of forward drives ended with flanker Darren Corrigan crossing and just on half-time he put his side on the front foot with a telling break. Keeping the ball alive and moving it about well, they were awarded a number of penalties before O'Hagan scored to make it 15 - 7 at the break.
Replacement wing Donaghy twice hacked along the line to take play fifty yards downfield. Crossing in front of the posts rightly cost Rainey a try, but when Fritz burst away from the tail to earn a penalty, Laidler did the needful to make it 18-7. A superb break from a lineout by Corrigan ended with a player held up as Tullamore defended very well. But they had a prop sin-binned for careless use of the boot and conceded another try when out-half Martin slotted through a teasing little ball for centre Andrew to win the race for the touchdown. Laidler converted. Thoughts now turned to a bonus point, but the picture soon changed. Three men short and ten minutes to go, it looked a bit bleak for the Old Boys, but they just got there - just!
TEAM : C.Laidler, M.McClelland, D.McMurray, R.Andrew, C.Moran, G.Martin, M.Wilson, S.Rutledge, G.Fritz, K.Donaghy, R.McCusker, T.Barker, D.Corrigan, B.Mullan, M.McCusker.
REPLACEMENTS : A.Donaghy, J.McCusker, T.O'Hagan, P.Stewart, M.Caithness.