The Dee 1st XV returned to earth with a resounding bump on Saturday when they were beaten 56-8 by a rampant Bangor side at Uprichard Park in Kukri Qualifying One. After more than competing with third placed Bangor in the first half the physical demand of playing three games in a week just proved too much for the Dee men.

The Dee started strongly and Nigel Barker converted a penalty before Bangor equalised. The Dee then pressed the Bangor line for a sustained period and some excellent work by the forwards led to fast ruck ball which was spun out to returning wing Chris Woods who scored in the corner. Bangor gathered themselves and scored an unconverted try in the the opposite corner before taking the lead with a penalty.

The Dee turned around to a 11-8 deficit and were well in the game. The turning point came when Rory Garnham was yellow carded after a sustained period of Bangor pressure had led to a general warning for the Dee due to persistent offences. Tiring legs were now evident and one man short had an inevitable effect when Bangor wisely opened the game up mainly through their talented fullback Josh Devitt and drew away with a number of excellently executed tries. The Dee competed heroically to the end and were most unfortunate not to score with the last play but unfortunately the scoring pass was intercepted by Devitt who ran the length of the field for the closing try.

Congratulations to Bangor who executed a perfect gameplan given their opponents exhaustion and we wish them well in next season's All Ireland Junior Cup.

The Dee will learn from what was obviously quite a chastening experience but their application was never in doubt right to the end when the cumulative effect of their efforts over the previous seven days proved the defining aspect of the game.

The Dee now look forward to the Towns Cup Semi-Final against Ballynahinch on 29th March when a two week rest and the return to arms of personnel not available for last Saturday's game will give them every chance of a second appearance at Ravenhill in the last three years.