Ulster Carpets U14 League North 30th September 2017
Scorers: Cleary(1*Try), McKendry(2*Try), Gregg(2*Try), Daly(1*Try, Daly(5*Conv)
It was a successful opening day of the league at Kilraughts for Rainey U14s who comfortably eased past Ballymoney on a 7 - 40 scoreline. On a fine day for running rugby, the Rainey lads showed a lot of enterprise and committment as they ran in six tries.
Rainey started strongly, with early pressure from second row Cleary, flanker Lee and prop Loughran forcing a ballymoney error. From the resulting scrum, Rainey went through the phases, with strong carries from outhalf Daly, centres McKendry & McMaster. Winger McAlary kept Rainey going forward and the pressure soon told when Cleary barged over in the corner to score the opening try of the day. Daly was unsuccessful, but it was his only miss of the day, as he would calmly knock over the following five.
Stung by this Ballymoney came back strongly, forcing numerous penalties, before spreading the ball wide for their winger to run in a converted score in the corner. Good work by the forwards, especially second-row Ferguson, opened up the home defence for McMaster to nip through with some fancy footwork. With only the fullback to beat, he offloaded nicely to his fellow centre McKendry who touched down under the posts.
Rainey were now starting to string passes together, stretching their opponents from left to right and, with quick ruck ball scrumhalf Seffen, they moved the ball wide to winger Gregg who raced in for the third Rainey try.
Opening the second half, the Magherafelt lads were sometimes guilty of trying to force things, with a series of mistakes allowing Ballymoney to apply pressure on and keep the Rainey side camped in their own half. Only strong tackling from the visitors kept them at bay, until finally Ballymoney caught their defence napping, and broke through. A score looked the only possible outcome, but a great try saving tackle from McMaster caused the Ballymoney player to knock on when crossing the line.
Finally, the forwards, especially the front row of props Friel and Loughran and hooker Goddard, produced a great scrum to give Rainey the platform they needed to clear their lines. A few minutes later, they got quick ball to McKendry who dodged and drifted his way through the defence to score his second try at the posts.
With the result no longer in doubt, the game seemed to be fizzling out, before a move off a Rainey lineout saw Gregg come in off his wing to take the ball well and break through the defence to score again under the sticks. They finished strongly with Daly breaking through for Raineys 6th and final score of the day.