Ulster Carpets North U18 10th December 2016

Scorers: Scullion(3*Try), Layden(2*Try), Molloy(1*Try), Clarke(1*Try), Totten(1*Try), McCusker(1*Try), McIntosh(1*Try), Kearns(5*Conv)

Rainey U18s started the second half of their league campaign at home to local rivals Ballymena.  The previous encounter had been a tight fought affair at the start of the season, but on this occasion Rainey ran out easy 60-0 winners.

Let down by some basic handling errors, Rainey took a while to get into their stride.  Although totally dominant in the scrums, winning all their own and most of the opposition's ball, their loose play was scrappy.  Eventually however, they clicked into gear, and from a ruck in the Braidmen’s 22’ Smyth set off on a barnstorming run, before flicking the ball to Lawrence.  He fed Molloy, who dove over between the posts. Kearns converted.

Soon after, Clarke got Rainey’s second, driving over after a quick tap penalty from 5m, following a great run from winger Totten. Kearns converted.  With Rainey controlling all aspects of the game, McCusker was denied a certain try when a flat pass from Smyth was deemed forward.  But it soon came, when McGlone took the ball against the head. A simple backs' move and a devastating hand-off from Scullion gave Totten a simple run-in in the corner.

Scullion was soon on the score-sheet himself.  When the ball scooted out of the wrong side of a scrum, scrum-half Young made a brilliant recovery to feed his backs and Scullion cut-inside to touch down beneath the posts.  Kearns converted.  Scullion got his second try soon after, and completed his hat-trick early in the second half after chasing down a volley, retrieving the loose ball and out-pacing the defenders to go in at the posts.  Kearns once more added the extras.

Rainey were now running riot.  McCusker took good ball at a lineout on the Ballymena 22’ and after setting up the maul, broke free himself and stormed over from 15m.  Winger Layden then broke from his own 22’ and ran the length of the pitch to score in the corner and McIntosh wasn’t to be stopped when he latched onto a pass 5m from the line.  Kearns added his fifth conversion.

To give credit to Ballymena, they turned down the ref’s offer to close proceedings early, but unfortunately, their sportsmanship was rewarded with another try against them.  From a deft chip over the Ballymena back-line by out-half O’Neill, who had directed proceedings throughout with aplomb, Layden won the race for the touchdown to get his second and Rainey’s tenth try of the day.

Rainey now travel to Ballymoney on Saturday 17th for their final match before the Christmas break.