Donaghadee returned to league action for the first time since their nail biting victory against Ards just over a month ago with a visit to third placed Academy at Roughfort. This was the first of a block four league games on successive Saturdays over the Christmas and New Year period which will go a long way to define the Donaldson Park mens’ season. As compared to the Ards game the side lined up missing Adam Alexander, Paul Johnston, Danny McBride & Matthew Mingout but were delighted to welcome back Mark Cooper at out-half after a protracted period of unavailability due to injury. Owen Roberts moved off the bench into the second row to replace the multi-positional Chris Scott to took up the left-wing position. With first choice scrum-halves Johnston & Mingout missing Robbie Ingham moved from full-back to partner Cooper at halfback and Johnny Bell lined up on the right wing with Jonny Gamble and Kyle Morrow coming onto the bench.

Academy started strongly and dominated possession from kick-off. The Dee defence remained strong however and after seven minutes turned possession and were held up short in front of the home side’s posts but were awarded a penalty for offside. Donaghadee rejected the opportunity for an easy three points and instead tapped a short penalty. Sadly though Academy snuffed out the Dee drives and cleared their lines…… would this prove to a costly error come the end of the game? On twelve minutes sustained Academy pressure resulted in a penalty for the home side which was converted to nudge the home side into a 3-0 lead. Donaghadee would have been disappointed with this setback but immediately put their opponents under pressure with some impressive carrying and link play taking them to a line out on the home twenty-two after they had been penalised for hands in the ruck. Once again the Dee pack carried with purpose through Stephen Adams, Matthew Stockton and Ally Barnes, eventually being held up six metres short to the right of the posts. Jack Chesney gained possession from the ensuing ruck and drove straight through the Academy pack carrying three hapless defenders with him to power over for the touchdown, Cooper adding the conversion to give the visitors a 7-3 lead. Donaghadee continued to play with great verve but were attracting the ire of the referee and indiscipline in the ruck led to two penalties for the home side, one of which was converted to bring them to within a point of the Dee’s tally at that stage with thirty eight minutes played. As the half moved into injury time the considerable Donaghadee support had contented themselves with going into the break with the narrowest of leads until Dee centres Stockton and Karl Yellop brought their not inconsiderable influence to bear on the game. Skipper Stockton attacked down the Academy left flank and, after going to ground, fed the supporting Yellop who had taken a clever line on the blind. Yellop made significant progress and from the ensuing ruck the ball was spun across the line first left, then right and back again until eventually the impressive Ray Dobson was set free. Dobson drew his man and delivered a perfect pass to the supporting Scott who, still with enough to do, outpaced the defence and touched down under the posts, Cooper again adding the extras. Half time and the Dee now led by 14-6.

As expected Academy began the second half with renewed vigour but on forty three minutes the ever-alert Cooper intercepted a loose pass from his opposite number on his own ten metre and started out for the line. With the scrambling home defence bearing down on him Cooper cleverly passed inside to the supporting Stockton who raced in to score. With Cooper converting once again the Dee were now 21-6 ahead. This set-back now seemed to inspire the home side and led by their Ulster Juniors stalwart prop Chris Nash and Captain Richard Henderson (brother of Ulster skipper Ian) and significant fightback ensued for what turned out to be most of the rest of the game. First of all, fifty minutes they secured ball from a penalty lineout and successive drives from their disciplined pack led to a touch down which was converted to leave the score 13-21 in the Dee’s favour. Seven minutes later the Dee were adjudged to have dropped a scrum on their own line and the referee awarded a penalty try – 20-21. For the next twenty minutes Academy dominated the game through the relentless driving play of their pack. During this period Donaghadee defended magnificently with Sam Ingham, Roberts, Stockton, Cooper, Barnes, Dobson, Yellop, Chris Hamilton and, in particular, Adams to the fore. On eighty minutes Stockton gained possession just behind his own ten metre line and then with a variety of hand-offs, raw power, determination and elusiveness broke the home defence and flew in to touch down in the left hand corner. Although the ensuing conversion was missed the Dee support were now about to celebrate victory when it emerged there was a further five minutes of injury time to play and…. Academy were far from done! Over the next few minutes they eventually worked their way from their own twenty-two until, on the blow, they forced their way over the Dee line six metres from touch for their third try of the day. In the fading light Academy now had a kick to win the game by a point. The home 10 struck the ball sweetly off the tee and, to all intents and purposes, it looked as if Dee hearts would be broken until, at the last moment, the ball drifted just wide of the far post and the visitors had secured victory by the narrowest of margins and, in doing so, secured a bonus point.

This was a magnificent game of rugby and demonstrated how Donaghadee have improved over their last three league games – losing bonus point v Lurgan, win v Ards and bonus point win v Academy. The entire side put a huge shift in with those not mentioned heretofore like Chris McGivern, Ewan McCracken, Bell & Gamble all part of a superb effort. In such a performance many men put their hands up for Man of the Match including Robbie Ingham who gave an excellent performance in the No. 9 shirt, Yellop (whose return carrying was the scourge of the opposition during the entire game), Cooper, Hamilton, Sam Ingham and the simply mercurial Stockton. On this occasion however the accolade has to go to Stevie Adams (pictured) whose efforts in both attack and defence (in particular a turnover in a maul close to the Dee line comes to mind) were herculean all afternoon.

Next week Donaghadee welcome old foes Coleraine to Donaldson Park and all will be looking forward to see if this rich vein of form can be continued.