Match report by Geoff Ingham

Donaghadee welcomed Virginia to Donaldson Park on Saturday in a crucial Kukri Championship 2 League game with both teams trying to escape the relegation zone. The Dee’s teamsheet showed a few changes from last week. In the forwards, props Ray Dobson and Ali Barnes were both unavailable so Jack Chesney and Noah Greenald started in the front row. Sam Ingham and Nathan Boyd moved into the second row to allow Chris Hamilton and Robbie Grant to take up positions in the back row. The only change in the backs saw Pete Callaghan coming in at centre so Ben Beattie moved to fullback and Zac Moraghan started on the wing. The overnight rain had made it moist underfoot and although the rain stayed away, a strengthening wind had begun to blow down the pitch. Virginia kicked off with the wind at their backs and, helped by a couple of basic errors by the Dee, soon set up camp in the Dee’s 22. After only 6 minutes on the clock they registered the first score of the afternoon when one of their forwards crashed over after several phases of play. The successful conversion took the score to 7-0. Virginia continued to enjoy the majority of both possession and territory with Dee’s defence being put to the test at regular intervals. The heavier Virginia pack began to dominate the set piece and after several penalties conceded at the scrum the referee sent a Dee prop to the sin bin. Virginia took full advantage of the numerical advantage and scored a brace of tries when the Dee were down to 14 men. The first was a penalty try, awarded when Dee were penalised for collapsing a driving maul and the second came from another drive by the Virginia forwards. This third try was converted leaving the score at 21-0 after just 26 minutes. With the Dee back up to a full complement they eventually made their way into the opposition half, mainly due to some strong driving runs by the back row of Grant, Hamilton and Aherne. On the half hour mark they managed to put several good phases of play together and it was vice-captain Sam Ingham who bulldozed his way past two defenders and was at full stretch when he touched down to score. Cooper converted to cut the lead to 21-7. Dee had a bit more defending to do before half time but did well to stop Virginia adding to their lead. Unfortunately in the final play of the half Sam Ingham had to leave the field with a shoulder injury and was replaced by James Small. With the wind now in their favour in the second half the Dee supporters were hoping that the 14-point lead could be overhauled. The Dee spent almost all of the next 40 minutes in the Virginia half but were continually frustrated by either Virginia’s excellent defence or their own inability to create clear scoring opportunities. The Virginia defenders were content to knock down the Dee’s first up runners and were also able to disrupt the Dee’s lineout almost all afternoon. With 10 minutes to go a Dee forward was given his second yellow and subsequent red card for an indiscretion at a ruck. In the dying seconds of the game the Dee eventually scored when they ran the ball along the backline and centre Callaghan released Beattie to run untouched down the wing and managed to touchdown close to the posts. Cooper dropkicked the conversion, hoping there was more time left, but the referee blew for full time to leave the final score 21-14 to Virginia.

A disappointing result for the Dee who, after several weeks of improved performances, know they are capable of playing a better standard of rugby than they showed in this encounter. Next Saturday the Dee travel to Portadown, K.O. 2.30pm.