After last week’s hard won victory against Holywood Donaghadee undertook the short trip to Stormont for another derby – this time against Civil Service, a side that have caused the Dee men more than a few problems in their match-ups over the past two seasons. Donaghadee’s trepidation was magnified by the fact that no less than ten of the 1st XV squad were missing due to injury and unavailability with Captain Stockton, Vice-Captain Hamilton, Wilson, Scott, Adams, Sam Ingham, Johnston, Kirkpatrick, Siri and McBride’s names not on the teamlist. To compound the travelling support’s nervousness Civil Service had taken the decision to let their 2nd XV play on what is probably the best 1st XV pitch on the island in a Regional League game whilst confining the Donaghadee game to their small and very narrow 2nd XV pitch.

The game began with Donaghadee starting strongly with out-half Mark Cooper orchestrating matters from midfield allowing Karl Yellop and a succession of carrying forwards to make deep inroads into Service territory. After ten minutes the pressure told and Cooper spun a pass to Yellop as the extra man to cross for an unconverted try. From the restart the Dee continued as before with stand-in captain Kyle Morrow operating in the “false” No. 10 berth releasing runners carrying into the Service midfield defence. Unfortunately an alert Service centre spotted an opportunity for an intercept and did so with telling effect, and with full-back Chris Knox in the attacking line, he was able to sprint under the posts from halfway for a converted try. Fifteen minutes gone and, on the balance of play, Service were in an unlikely 7-5 lead. Donaghadee were soon back on the attack however and a succession of penalties allowed them the opportunity for their dominant scrum, under the direction of the wily Chris Good and the returning Rab Irwin, to attempt to drive over from a five-metre set-piece. Regretfully, however, as the Dee eight were a metre from the line and for all intents and purposes about to score the referee made the decision to penalise Service and award another penalty to the Dee. The away side took the decision to reset the scrum and then the subsequent feed was adjudged “not straight”. There is no doubt that this turn of events had a dispiriting effect on the Dee men and Service came back into the fray utilising their signature ten man game to great effect through their hard carrying forwards and the orchestration of their excellent scrum-half. On more than one occasion it appeared that Service would add to their lead but the determined defence of Donaghadee held them at bay and half time was reached with no change to the scoreboard.

With eight minutes of the second period played Service were awarded a penalty on halfway and their full-back stepped up to take the home side into a 10-5 lead. The Dee stuck to their game plan however and a combination of hard driving running from Jack Chesney, Owen Roberts and Yellop and astute line kicking from Cooper took them to another five-metre scrum on the opposition line. This time no mistake was made and No. 8 Morrow touched down with Cooper adding the extras to take Donaghadee into a 12-10 lead. Three minutes later Service were stretched from a succession of Dee attacks and young second-row Andy McCracken scorched over the line on the wide outside allowing Cooper to take the score to 19-10. A combination of Dee errors and Service craft allowed the latter back into the game for the next fifteen minutes but eventually a turnover deep in the Dee twenty-two led to Phil Collins making a barnstorming drive as far as the halfway line and the danger had subsided. Donaghadee now looked to score their fourth, and bonus-point try, led by the devastating driving play of Chesney ably supported by Morgan McCartney and Johnny Gamble. Scrum-half Matthew Mingout was varying his options and successively Chris McGivern, Dicky Bailey, Robbie Ingham and Knox were unlucky not to break the line. Eventually however, from another re-set scrum on the opposition five-metre line Mingout changed tack and lifted the ball from the back of the driving eight and released Cooper who darted through the unsuspecting Service defence to touch down under the posts before adding the conversion to take the Dee to comfortable 26-10 lead with seventy six minutes played. The never-say-die Service side went back on the attack during the dying embers of the game and once again threatened to the Dee line but were undone when they were turned over and Owen Bailie drove strongly out of defence before the ball was dispatched to touch and the referee whistled for no-side.

This was an exceptionally mature performance from Donaghadee and displays just how much they have improved this season in terms of both game management and guile. The other factor is also the greater strength in depth available this season and those who have come into the side in recent weeks have performed admirably. Last season it is unlikely that the side would have survived the adversity of yesterday’s game never mind take five points from it but Coaches Paul Blewitt and Good have instilled an innate self-belief and patience within the side which has served them well over the past few difficult league games. As ever a few players put themselves up for the Man of the Match award this week – Cooper had an excellent day from all facets of play, McCracken probably had his best performance in a Dee shirt, Mingout continues to act as an able deputy for Paul Johnston – improving with each game played but the award, on this occasion, has to go to Jack Chesney. Operating from the second-row berth this week Chesney’s ball carrying and ability to break through the opposition pack through his raw strength and obstinacy was, on many occasions yesterday, the catalyst through which the Dee both relieved their line and built their attacks. Next Saturday the 1st XV have a week off before resuming their league campaign with a home game against Cavan the following week. There will, however, be action at Donaldson Park next Saturday when the 2nd XV welcome Randalstown 3rd XV (ko 2:30pm).