Ballynahinch 2’s   36  Banbridge 2’s  6
Match Report – 4th October 2013
Chris Parker reports from Ballymacarn Park
Hinch 2’s got back to action after a two week break with a league fixture at home to Banbridge.
The two sides had faced each other in the Town’s cup last year and only a late try had been enough to see Hinch through. It was clear Hinch had suffered from the two week break with a number of passes not going to hand and a number offloads being wayward. This lead to Banbridge dominating territory and possession in the first half an hour although some resolute defence from Hinch saw Bann only lead 6-0 after 30 minutes.
Hinch then worked an overlap in their own half and good hands from McMullan and McCormick sent Jarvie away on the right. He showed pace to go around his opposite number before stepping the full back to run in under the posts, giving Harris the easiest of tasks with the extras. Straight from the kick off the 2’s worked their way back into the Bann 22 and with great lineout ball Armstrong carried in midfield before Harris moved play wide and Ben McMullan stepped a defender to score, the conversion was just wide leaving the half time score 12-6 in Hinch’s favour.
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The two scores before half-time seemed to boost the Hinch spirits and with a solid lineout and a scrum that was turning over ball they started the second half brightly but the continued handling errors saw them throw away scoring opportunities. Hinch began to control the game better and kept putting Banbridge into their half but a poor kick chase from Banbridge allowed Peter Weir to take a quick lineout on the 10m line to Ben McMullan who bounced a defender before bursting clear and chipping the opposition full back before winning the race to touch down in the corner, increasing the lead to 17-6.
McMullan completed his hat trick moments later with a great team try, when a number of quick rucks gave Hinch the ascendency and with Banbridge struggling for numbers wide the ball was moved for McMullan to touch down, Harris converted to bring the score to 24-6. Hinch saw the Banbridge heads drop and they continued to press on, Harris scythed through the defence and drew the full back to send Jordan Grattan in under the posts for the fifth score with the conversion bringing Hinch 31-6 ahead.
The final score of the game came on the last play when Weir noticed space in behind the defence he cleverly box kicked, McCormick chased only to be beaten by the bounce of the ball and lose his footing, a retreating Banbridge player then managed to kick the ball backwards over his try line where McCormick was standing to touch down, the conversion was narrowly wide leaving the final score 36-6 in the 2’s favour.
This was far from a polished performance by the 2s side but the set piece worked well and there were a number of great individual performances yet everybody knows there must be more accuracy in our handling and retention of the ball. Next week the 2’s face Limavady in the Junior Cup, the match is at Ballymacarn Park with a 2.30 p.m. kick off and all support would be welcome.
Hinch Team:Â McMullan, Jarvie, McCormick, Grattan, Bowsie, Harris, Weir, McKeown, Armstrong, Bonnargent, Connolly, Mannus, Orr, Nelson (C), Hamilton.
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