Men’s Firsts 10 – Clogher Valley 21

Galwegians’ promotion play-off hopes suffered a setback when they went down away to Mid Ulster side Clogher Valley in a tremendously fought contest in the Cran in County Tyrone on Saturday.

These two sites have formed a new rivalry since their joint promotion last year from 2C, but the Ulstermen prevailed once again to make it four wins out of four in the short history between the sides. The Blues will consider themselves unlucky not to at least come away with something to show for their efforts. They dominated most of the first half, being the better side throughout. They set the early tempo and centre Stevie Mannion tried his luck with a penalty from well inside his half in the second minute. Although he had the range, it was always drifting wide of the sticks.

Wegians continued to have most of the territory and possession in the opening quarter, albeit rarely threatening the try-line. They managed to get the opening score with a 21st minute penalty from Mannion after a line-out infringement by the opposition near their 22. Barely 3 minutes later it got better for the Blues when they score the opening try. When the hosts were trying to force their way out of their half, scrum half Cam Carruthers read a blind side move perfectly and intercepted a pass on the 10m line to scamper down the touchline and dive over near the right corner flag. It was an opportunist but no less deserved score, and Mannion landed a superb conversion which put Wegians 10-0 to the good.

The Blues continue to frustrate their hosts with some solid defence and were looking relatively comfortable approaching half time. Disaster struck however in the 35th minute when the returning fullback Cian Brady had a clearance kick inside his 22 charged down. The ball emerged in the hands of number eight Callum Smyton, who danced around two tackles and dived over the line midway between the touchline and the sticks. It was a sucker punch score, and out-half David Maxwell added the conversion to reduce the margin to 10-7. Wegians thought they scored a second try in the final play of the half when turning over a defensive 5 metre line out. Carruthers looked like he had scored his second opportunist try of the day when he appeared to ground the ball in the left corner, only for his effort to be disallowed as ref Cillian Hogan blew for half-time.

In the second-half Valley came out all guns blazing, but they were finding it hard to break down a solid Galwegians rearguard.  The turning point of the game came in the 51st minute when Wegians were breaking out from their 22. Although the ball was knocked on near the 10 metre line, the visitors were waiting for an advantage for what appeared a deliberate knock-on in the build-up play. However their claims fell on deaf ears and when the hosts turned it over, a scything break by right-wing Ewan Haire shredded the midfield and he set up his scrum-half Matthew Bothwell on his shoulder who raced down the left to score. Maxwell converted again to rub salt into the wounds to put the host 14-10 ahead.

This visibly changed the momentum, although it was largely nip and tuck with Wegians staying in the fight. A great blindside attack almost put Rob Holian clear, only for the final pass to spill near the line. Then the game was effectively sealed in the 70^th minute when Valley scored their third try. Having won a scrum penalty, they kicked for a lineout and patiently went through the phases, before no. 8 Smyton ran a sweet inside line to slice through the cover and dive under the posts for his second try. Maxwell’s conversion made it 21-10.

The game looked done and dusted, however Wegians kept trying right till the end. The hosts had their prop Jamie Allen binned in stoppage time, but the Blues were unable to capitalise and were turned over following a 5 metre penalty, which summed up their luck in the second half.

It was the first time this season that they finished the game without so much as a losing bonus point and this sees them slip from fifth place to sixth in the League table with two game rounds to go. So while out of their hands, they remain very much in playoff contention and have a vital final home game this Saturday against fifth place Rainey Old Boys, where a win would see the Blues be in the shake up on the final day of the season.