Back to winning ways

Donaghadee travelled to Neillsbrook Avenue, home of Randalstown RFC, with the painful memory of a last minute defeat to Ballymoney still fresh in their minds. Sadly the Co. Down men were without the talismanic trio of Ray Dobson, Jack Cooke & Chris McGivern but were once again able to call on the services of Karl Yellop in the centre & Ben Bettie on the wing with Dylan Robinson and Euan McCracken coming in to replace Dobson & Cooke.

Although the Dee started quite brightly it was the Co. Antrim men who got the first points on the board after seven minutes when a holding on offence allowed their full-back to push them into a 3-0 lead with a well taken penalty. By the time the twenty minute mark had been reached Randalstown had tripled their lead when two offside offences allowed them to kick two further penalties. At this stage, and indeed throughout most of the first half, Donaghadee were maybe playing their poorest rugby of the season and the hangover from the Ballymoney disappointment was only too evident. During this period the Dee lost full-back Jonny Bell to a shoulder injury and was replaced by Morgan Paulin making his debut for the 1st XV. A continuing lackluster performance in the contact areas allowed the home side to dominate ruck and maul and they won a succession of penalties from the jackaling efforts of their dominant back row and the power of their set scrummage. As half-time approached Robinson was somewhat bafflingly yellow carded for persistent offences at scrum time and it looked as if the rampant Randalstown side would extend their lead prior to the break. Stout defence from the Dee however kept their line intact but unfortunately Paul Hamilton, who heretofore had been the stand-out visiting forward, joined Robinson in the sin-bin for a deemed dump tackle.

As the second half began the Donaghadee support on the sideline were contemplating a heavy defeat, given the fact that their side were down to thirteen men facing a 9-0 deficit and the first ten minutes of play did nothing to assuage their fears. Randalstown continued to profit from the referee’s whistle and were determined to extend their lead by means kicking down the line rather than taking the potential three pointers on offer. This may ultimately have led to their eventual downfall as the Dee kept their line intact and the seeds of recovery were sown when Randalstown’s dominance at scrum time was stymied by McCracken’s necessitated entry into the front row and by strong running from Yellop and Adam Alexander in the centre. On the sixty minute mark a break from Alexander and some quickly recycling allowed the ball to reach Beattie who beat his marker and then took the opposing full-back over the line with him to score an excellent try in the corner. Skipper Mark Cooper then stepped up to make a superb conversion from the touchline and suddenly the Dee were now only two points behind. Galvanised by the Beattie try Donaghadee began to dominate all facets of play and excellent work from the barnstorming Callum Montgomery, Ally Barnes, Sam Ingham & Yellop ably supported by reinvigorated flankers Chris Hamilton and Robbie Grant brought play to the opposition twenty-two. With the back three of Robbie Ingham, Beattie & Paulin increasingly evident successive movements across both sides of the pitch eventually allowed Cooper to break the line before offloading to the supporting Ingham who made good ground before passing back inside to Cooper who crashed over the Randalstown line. With Cooper adding the extras the Dee were now leading by 14-9 with fifteen minutes to play. At this point Randalstown were still very much in the game but three minutes later a Cooper penalty kick won after another great break from Alexander took the Dee more than one score away at 17-9. With Morgan Macartney joining the fray from the bench, replacing the now tiring Robinson, Randalstown began to play catch-up rugby and nearly scored in the corner before a last ditch tackle from right winger Robbie Ingham saved the day. With the pressure off Donaghadee now began to open up with Ally Lockhart terrorising the home fringe defence and Cooper sublimely keeping his threequarters moving at every opportunity. With five minutes to go the ball was kicked behind the home defence before it was recovered by their right wing. Beattie was quickly upon his opposite number and ripped the ball from him before beating a further two defenders to race to the tryline to score the Dee’s third try. With Cooper again adding the extras the Dee now chased a fourth try for an unlikely bonus point win. Despite the best efforts of the likes of Lockhart and Yellop this was not to be and the referee blew for no side with a final score of 24-9 in favour of Donaghadee.

All in all therefore this was very strange game indeed – from looking dead and buried just after half-time the Dee dug deep to win against very dogged opposition. Some great performances in the second half led the likes of McCracken, Yellop & Alexander to be considered for Man of Match but this week the award goes to Ben Beattie for his stand-out showing on the left wing bringing two tries which were very much key to his side’s victory.

With the Dee still lying in third place in the league in the race to a Top Four Play-Off place their difficult run-in continues next week when they visit second placed Coleraine. This will then leave only another three games to play – league leaders Limavady at home on 26/03/2022, Academy away on 02/04/2022 and a local derby against Ards at Hamilton Park on 09/04/2022. There is a coach going to the Coleraine game next Saturday leaving Donaldson Park at 11am and returning after the England v Ireland Six Nations match – if you would like to book a place please contact Club President John Blewitt as soon as possible.