Dee 74- Cavan- 0
Match Reporter - Jack Chesney

After a promising and strong Performance against reigning Junior and Towns Cup holders Ballynahinch 2s, Donaghadee 1st XV lead by the adamant coaching staff of Connor McKee, Chris Good, and Paul Blewit set their sights on the next league game, Cavan RFC at home. The pitch had seen better days but with determination and pure grit by many members of the club, they cleared the pitch from twigs and sticks, from where a tree had earlier had fell. Even on the day of the match Head Coach Connor McKee was scooping up puddles in the middle of the pitch with merely a pint glass. The weather was bleak, a muddy, slow game came to mind when considering the conditions, but little did Spectators and Cavan know, when that whistle Blew, a fast, dynamic, explosive game of rugby erupted upon everyone’s eyes.

Cavan were to kick off, playing away from the club house, the dee looked determined and ready for an unpredictable Cavan side. Cavan’s 10 kicked off, with a belching roar second row Kyle Morrow claimed the incoming ball, brushing aside Cavan defence like fruit flies, and then passing the ball into the hands of Hooker Jamie Wilson. Who sped gracefully down the pitch eventually with a simple two v one pass to Prop Ryan Campbell, who seemed to have materialized out of nowhere down the right wing, scoring the first try of the game. Dee 10 Mark Cooper, unfortunately missing the mark (No pun intended) with the conversion, the score 5-0. Cavan had possession of the ball for a little period of time and eventually was turned over, by solid defence and bone crunching tackles, which echoed across Donaldson Park, carried out by the likes of flankers Matthew ‘Dino’ Johnston and Chrissy Hamilton. The ball eventually found itself into the hands of number 8 Sam Ingham, who gloriously galloped around the Cavan defence, beautifully off-loading to Kyle Morrow who then transferred the ball into the hands of Skipper, number 12 Matthew Stockton, slivering through the Cavan defence with stunning foot work, diving under the posts for the second try. With a converted try, the score now sat at 12-0.
Cavan started to place some pressure onto the 15 dee men, with some convincing carries from their pack, but met with furious defence, from all players on the pitch. Cavan set up a strong maul in the middle of the pitch, but they were blown by the Referee after going straight through the middle. Dee had regained possession, and now planned another onslaught. The ball saw it in the hands of winger, Chris McGivern, who made a very strong carry, slicing through defenders, until going to ground and presenting the ball to number 9, Andy Monson. Second row, Aussie Connor (Connor O’Byrne) cunningly spotting a day dreaming pillar in Cavan’s defence. Before Monson could get anywhere near the ball, with a pick and go and a swift hand -off he broke through, finding himself over the line, the score 19-0. It seemed as if every time the Dee touched the ball, a try was scored. Cavan then came forward, with waves of attack from Cavan’s back line, but again with a solid defence from the Dee men Mark Cooper, centre Rory Garnham, and number 15 Danny McBride who made sure not a single Cavan attacking player broke the line. A Back and forth kicking game ensued, with great return kicks from Danny, and left Winger, Chris Knox. Overtime the barrage of perfectly positioned kicks took its toll on Cavan and a handling fumble occurred, in which Stockton again saw himself with the ball looping around the fatigued 15 of Cavan running ¾ of the pitch scoring under the posts, 26-0.

A dee line-out in Cavan’s 22 saw the pack form a maul, spotting an opening, Andy Monson took matters into his own hands, smashing through Cavan’s 9-10 channel planting the ball down, making the score 33-0. Cavan this time pushed the now confident and empowered dee back to their own 22, Cavan’s number 13 saw to pass to their right winger, but Chris Knox like a whippet shot up the line, stealing the ball mid-air before Cavan’s winger even knew what was coming, like a flash of lightening he seemed to easily out-pace baffled and battered chasers scoring in the left corner, 38-0. Donaghadee again battered at the Cavan defence with great carries from Adam Torrens (Beef), Hamilton, and O’Byrne, that saw up some openings for another try scoring opportunity. Sam Ingham who seemed to be everywhere, hitting every ruck, making phenomenal tackles, bounded down the pitch, off-loading to Jamie Wilson, who then passed it to our Bearded 9, Monson, for his second try of the game. 45-0. After more back and forth kicking, and a long series of scrums due to handling errors, which were holding up significantly well due the solid front row of Beef, Campbell, and Wilson with strong low body positions. Donaghadee had possession and Garnham made a powerful and strong carry, with three Cavan men hanging off him, he managed to off-load to Chris McGivern who screamed valiantly for the ball, sprinting half of the pitch to the try line. 52-0.
The whistle blew and half time-commenced, with a quick talk, and a mouthful of water, both teams assembled in solid formation for the second half. The start of the second half seemed a lot slower than the first, with more errors on the dee side occurring. The dee began to start building pressure again, with great opportunity for a try saw an eager Ryan Campbell tap and go, being a prop, he decided to tap and go using his knee-cap, not his foot. This resulting in a turn-over to Cavan, but fear not, a turn-over and another outstanding gather and pass by Sam Ingham straight to Hamilton then to Stockton, who leaped over the line for a hat trick 57-0. Surely the referee would call it? We all thought in our heads, but not a chance, a determined and heroic Cavan side did not want to give up until a try was scored. Cavan showed great heart considering the score line, a humbling reminder not long ago Donaghadee were suffering such similar defeats. The second half saw Ginge move into the back-row, who made solid tackles and pressure Cavan attack, who unfortunately suffered an injury to his shoulder, prompting him to come off which saw Owen Bailie come onto the wing, who showed impressive handling skills.
The dee had the ball in their hands again, and in a blink of an eye Knox catapulted himself down the left wing to the try line making it 62-0, for his second try. Fatigue started to set in, nearing the end of the game, the pitch in tatters, you’d have thought that the try train would have stopped, think again. Knock-on after knock-on was becoming quite common, and low and behold Mr Ingham had his hands on the ball again tearing up the field, passing it straight to Garnham scoring his first try of the game. 69-0. As we thought no-more tries could be possibly be scored before the whistle was blown, Dee’s 10 Cooper secured a lovely and wonderfully timed intercept running over half of the pitch to score his first try of the season. 74-0.
Next week the Dee travel to Strabane away for a predicted tough encounter with Strabane’s strong and much heavier pack.