Match reports for school games across Ulster over the past week.
Methodist College 83 Belfast Metropolitan College 8
On Monday 5th October Methodist College entertained Belfast Metropolitan College at Pirrie Park. The game was fast flowing with the Methodist College team recording an impressive 83-8 victory. The home team scored 13 tries with James McConnell, Zach Jordan and Josh Jordan all scoring two tries apiece. Thomas Gallagher, Kane Doherty, Oliver Cairns, Lewis Loane, Aaron Kilpatrick, Ben Power and Owen Winters each scored one try. Paul Kerr converted six of the tries with Power converting another three. The Belfast Met team scored one try and kicked a penalty.
Omagh Academy 15 Strabane Academy 14
On Wednesday 7th October an Omagh Academy ‘Select’ osted an ever improving Strabane Academy team. Being a local derby there was plenty at stake with the Omagh Academy team having to work hard before finishing the closely contested game as 15-14 winners. The Strabane Academy team had built up a 0-11 lead by the break with the foundation for this lead being laid by their physically abrasive pack of forwards. They took a deserved lead when the pack secured possession following a series of rucks and Kyle Hunter crashed over for an unconverted try ten minutes into the game. Continued Strabane Academy pressure secured penalty opportunities, two of which were converted by Thomas O’Flaherty, for a 0-11 lead at the interval.
A few well-chosen words at half time by the Omagh coaching staff seemed to spark the home team into life at the start of the second half. Good pressure on the Strabane defence paid off when Glen McKinley crashed over for a try in the corner. Scott Ballentine converted the try to reduce the deficit to 7-11. Omagh Academy continued to dominate and Jordan Brolly picked up from the base of a scrum and fended off a number of would-be tacklers before touching down for an unconverted try. The Strabane team mounted another challenge and O’Flaherty was successful with his third penalty to put his team into a 12-14 lead with just minutes remaining. However, Ballentine stepped up to coolly slot a kick to secure a hard earned 15-14 victory for the hosts.
Ballymena Academy 23 Methodist College 22
There was almost a full list of schools’ fixtures played out on Saturday 10th October. The ‘Match of the Day’ was played at Ballymena Academy when they hosted Methodist College for the Allen Young Cup in a closely contested encounter. This was the first win in seven years for the Ballymena Academy team in this competition. Played in front of a large crowd, it was the home team that opened the scoring with a Bruce Houston penalty, before Paul Kerr levelled the scores with an effort of his own. Methody were more clinical on their first foray into the Ballymena 22m area when Aaron Kilpatrick powered over from a close lineout. Kerr missed the conversion and the score remained 3-8 in favour of the Methodist College team.
For the next 15 minutes Ballymena Academy dominated possession and scored two tries in the process. An excellent kick ahead from Michael Stronge was gathered by Conor Cosgrove and the winger off-loaded brilliantly for Angus Kernohan to score below the posts. Almost immediately Ballymena found themselves on the Methody line again and Jonathan McKeown was on hand to apply the finishing touched to a dynamic maul created by his pack. Houston added both conversions to give the home team a 17-8 lead. Just before the break Ballymena were penalised at the breakdown and, following a kick to the corner, Methody scored from a well-executed maul with Connoor Fletcher awarded the touch down. The successful conversion from Kerr meant the game was finely poised at 17-15 at half time.
The second half was a much cagier affair with neither side able to stamp their authority on the game. Bruce Houston hit the bar with a long-range penalty but made no mistake shortly afterwards from a similar spot to increase his team’s lead to 20-15.Ten minutes from the end Zach Jordan scored an excellent individual try as he shook off several defenders before scoring between the sticks. Kerr’s conversion gave Methody a 20-22 lead but it was Ballymena Academy who had the final say with a match-winning penalty from the trusty boot of Houston.
Former Ulster and Ireland player, Bryan Young, was on hand at the end of the game to present the victorious Ballymena Academy captain, Marcus Rea, with the Allen Young Cup.
Wallace HS 27 BRA 0
Wallace High School played a Belfast Royal Academy team that had notched up some impressive results in recent games. However, the BRA boys were unable to maintain that good run of form with the Lisburn team emerging as 27-0 winners.
Rainey Endowed 25 Larne GS 7
Rainey had built up a 10-0 lead by half time with Anton Lupari touching down for two unconverted tries. In the second half the Rainey Endowed team scored two further tries through Lorcan Quinn, making a welcome return to the playing field following a long lay-off due to injury, and Stephen Bergeron. Quinn converted one try as well as a penalty. The Larne team played with great effort and determination throughout the game and they got some reward for their endeavours with a try from John Hyndman, converted by Barry McFaul, in the final quarter of the game.
Banbridge Academy 5 Lurgan College 16
The visitors built up a 0-13 lead by the break with a try from Lewis Lawson, which was converted by Jamie Patterson, along with two penalties from Robbie Norton. The Banbridge boys played much better in the second half, with Jordan Mount and Troy Pinion causing problems for the visiting defence. Mount took advantage of slack defending to run in for an unconverted try and reduce the deficit to 13-5. However, two minutes later, Norton kicked a penalty to secure the 16-5 victory for Lurgan College. Reuben McCreery, a Year 12 number 8, had a particularly impressive game for the visitors.
Grosvenor GS 24 Friends’ School 0
The Friends’ School, Lisburn team was missing a number of key players who were away on Ireland support duty when they travelled to play Grosvenor Grammar School. The hosts put an end to their opposition’s undefeated run by securing a 24-0 win. In an evenly contested first half Ben Davidson got the only score of the half when he capitalised on quick ball to cross in the corner. Adam Skelton converted for a 7-0 interval lead.
Jonah McDowell was able to kick through, gather the ball at pace and touch down for a second Grosvenor try. Skelton converted before breaking free to score his first try in four seasons. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful but the Grosvenor team now had a 19-0 lead. Chris Allen then scored a fourth try to secure their victory. Despite losing the game the Friends’ School team can take some positives from their performance and, in particular, the displays put in by Adam Milligan and David Newell.
Carrickfergus GS 19 Foyle College 38
Carrickfergus Grammar School hosted a Foyle College ‘Select’ XV in what was a game of two halves. The Foyle team scored all of their points in the first half. Mark Williams and Killene Thornton both touched down twice, with Matthew Orr and Joel Smyth each scoring once. Orr was successful with four conversion attempts to ensure his side enter the break 0-38 ahead.
The Carrickfergus Grammar School team recovered strongly and displayed great pride and commitment in the second half. They scored three tries from quickly taken penalties with Benji McKay, Captain, Nathan Fugard and the impressive Fionn McCormack all crossing the whitewash. Two tries were converted by Fionn McCormack which left the scoreboard reading 38-19 in favour of the Foyle College team at the end of the game.
RS Dungannon 7 Omagh Academy 10
Omagh Academy travelled to play Royal School Dungannon in a game they were determined to win before travelling to play tour games in Wales. They did just that with a fine 7-10 success over their Tyrone rivals. The hosts might have taken an early lead but for the heroics of Matthew Clyde and Fintan Lagan in the Omagh defence. Kyle Beattie then displayed great game management skills and pinned the Dungannon team back for long periods of time. The Omagh pack won the ball from an opposition lineout and good play by Matthew Hill and Clive Hawkes then paved the way for Matthew Clyde to touch down for an unconverted try and give Omagh a 0-5 lead, which they held onto for the duration of the first half.
The early stages of the second period saw the RS Dungannon pack on the attack once again. A sustained period of pressure finished with a try from ‘Man of the Match’ Peter Doran, who was put away by a clever offload from Adam Cranston. The try was converted by Adam Evans for a 7-5 lead. Omagh hit back; a lineout win by Oscar Nelson set the platform for a catch and drive, which was finished off by the captain, Clyde, for his second try of the game. There were no further scores, ensuring a narrow win for a well-drilled Omagh side.
Portadown College 15 Down HS 27
Portadown College hosted Down High School and could never recover from a poor first half. The visitors had built up a 8-17 lead by half time with tries from Robin Wilson, who finished off a charged down kick opportunity, Ronan Patterson, who took advantage of a line break from Marcus Graham, and Graham himself, who took advantage of a great offload from Patterson. Paddy Browne was successful with one conversion. The Portadown College points came from an unconverted try from Taylor Tweedie, following a catch and drive from a lineout, and a Michael Orr penalty.
Browne kicked a penalty in the early stages of the second half to increase the lead, before he combined with William Annett to send Graham in for his second try. Browne added the conversion to increase the Down High School lead to 8-27. Portadown replied with a try from Matthew Neill, which was converted by Orr, to leave Down High as 27-15 winners.
RBAI 27 Coleraine GS 5
Royal Belfast Academical Institution entertained Coleraine Grammar School in an entertaining game at the weekend. The Belfast Inst team had built up a 19-0 advantage by half time with tries from Corrie Barrett, Michael Lowry and David Whitten. James Hume added two conversions. In the second half RBAI extended their lead to 27-0 when Harry Gallagher scored an unconverted try and Ben McGavock was successful with a penalty kick. Calum Smith scored a late consolation try for Coleraine.
Ballyclare HS 14 Belfast HS 0
Ballyclare High School hosted Belfast High School in a scrappy game in which the hosts prevailed by 14 points to nil. They had built up a 7-0 lead by the interval with an Owen Hutchinson try, just before the break, which Alistair Burke converted. The Ballyclare HS team secured their win when Burke ran in for a converted try midway through the second period of play.
Dalriada School 35 Sullivan Upper 17
Dalriada entertained Sullivan Upper in an entertaining game the Dalriada team deservedly won by 35-17. ‘Man of the Match’ Stewart Moore scored a hat trick of tries for the home team with Andrew Stevenson and Thomas Hunter touching down for one try apiece. Moore had a great day with his trusty boot as well, converting all five tries. Rory Kilpatrick, Ruari Meharg and Dan Braniff were the players who accounted for the Sullivan Upper points in the course of the game.
Bangor GS 49 Limavady GS 17
Bangor Grammar School continued with their recent run of good form when they entertained a spirited Limavady Grammar School team and won the game by 49-17. Bangor GS started well with Connor McKee scoring an early try but the visitors got onto the scoresheet when their outhalf cut in for a converted try. The Bangor team then dominated the game for the remainder of the first half. They scored five more tries with McKee touching down for his second, Charlie Blair crossing twice and Lewis Brett and Zack Kerr scoring one try each. Kerr converted all six scores.
The second half was more evenly contested and the Limavady team scored two further unconverted tries to reduce the deficit to 42-17. Replacement centre, Chris Connolly then scored a fine individual try for his Bangor Grammar School team. Zack Kerr was successful with his seventh conversion of the game to complete the 49-17 victory for Bangor.
Campbell College 38 Regent House 0
No match report available.
Methodist College 83 Belfast Metropolitan College 8
On Monday 5th October Methodist College entertained Belfast Metropolitan College at Pirrie Park. The game was fast flowing with the Methodist College team recording an impressive 83-8 victory. The home team scored 13 tries with James McConnell, Zach Jordan and Josh Jordan all scoring two tries apiece. Thomas Gallagher, Kane Doherty, Oliver Cairns, Lewis Loane, Aaron Kilpatrick, Ben Power and Owen Winters each scored one try. Paul Kerr converted six of the tries with Power converting another three. The Belfast Met team scored one try and kicked a penalty.
Omagh Academy 15 Strabane Academy 14
On Wednesday 7th October an Omagh Academy ‘Select’ osted an ever improving Strabane Academy team. Being a local derby there was plenty at stake with the Omagh Academy team having to work hard before finishing the closely contested game as 15-14 winners. The Strabane Academy team had built up a 0-11 lead by the break with the foundation for this lead being laid by their physically abrasive pack of forwards. They took a deserved lead when the pack secured possession following a series of rucks and Kyle Hunter crashed over for an unconverted try ten minutes into the game. Continued Strabane Academy pressure secured penalty opportunities, two of which were converted by Thomas O’Flaherty, for a 0-11 lead at the interval.
A few well-chosen words at half time by the Omagh coaching staff seemed to spark the home team into life at the start of the second half. Good pressure on the Strabane defence paid off when Glen McKinley crashed over for a try in the corner. Scott Ballentine converted the try to reduce the deficit to 7-11. Omagh Academy continued to dominate and Jordan Brolly picked up from the base of a scrum and fended off a number of would-be tacklers before touching down for an unconverted try. The Strabane team mounted another challenge and O’Flaherty was successful with his third penalty to put his team into a 12-14 lead with just minutes remaining. However, Ballentine stepped up to coolly slot a kick to secure a hard earned 15-14 victory for the hosts.
Ballymena Academy 23 Methodist College 22
There was almost a full list of schools’ fixtures played out on Saturday 10th October. The ‘Match of the Day’ was played at Ballymena Academy when they hosted Methodist College for the Allen Young Cup in a closely contested encounter. This was the first win in seven years for the Ballymena Academy team in this competition. Played in front of a large crowd, it was the home team that opened the scoring with a Bruce Houston penalty, before Paul Kerr levelled the scores with an effort of his own. Methody were more clinical on their first foray into the Ballymena 22m area when Aaron Kilpatrick powered over from a close lineout. Kerr missed the conversion and the score remained 3-8 in favour of the Methodist College team.
For the next 15 minutes Ballymena Academy dominated possession and scored two tries in the process. An excellent kick ahead from Michael Stronge was gathered by Conor Cosgrove and the winger off-loaded brilliantly for Angus Kernohan to score below the posts. Almost immediately Ballymena found themselves on the Methody line again and Jonathan McKeown was on hand to apply the finishing touched to a dynamic maul created by his pack. Houston added both conversions to give the home team a 17-8 lead. Just before the break Ballymena were penalised at the breakdown and, following a kick to the corner, Methody scored from a well-executed maul with Connoor Fletcher awarded the touch down. The successful conversion from Kerr meant the game was finely poised at 17-15 at half time.
The second half was a much cagier affair with neither side able to stamp their authority on the game. Bruce Houston hit the bar with a long-range penalty but made no mistake shortly afterwards from a similar spot to increase his team’s lead to 20-15.Ten minutes from the end Zach Jordan scored an excellent individual try as he shook off several defenders before scoring between the sticks. Kerr’s conversion gave Methody a 20-22 lead but it was Ballymena Academy who had the final say with a match-winning penalty from the trusty boot of Houston.
Former Ulster and Ireland player, Bryan Young, was on hand at the end of the game to present the victorious Ballymena Academy captain, Marcus Rea, with the Allen Young Cup.
Wallace HS 27 BRA 0
Wallace High School played a Belfast Royal Academy team that had notched up some impressive results in recent games. However, the BRA boys were unable to maintain that good run of form with the Lisburn team emerging as 27-0 winners.
Rainey Endowed 25 Larne GS 7
Rainey had built up a 10-0 lead by half time with Anton Lupari touching down for two unconverted tries. In the second half the Rainey Endowed team scored two further tries through Lorcan Quinn, making a welcome return to the playing field following a long lay-off due to injury, and Stephen Bergeron. Quinn converted one try as well as a penalty. The Larne team played with great effort and determination throughout the game and they got some reward for their endeavours with a try from John Hyndman, converted by Barry McFaul, in the final quarter of the game.
Banbridge Academy 5 Lurgan College 16
The visitors built up a 0-13 lead by the break with a try from Lewis Lawson, which was converted by Jamie Patterson, along with two penalties from Robbie Norton. The Banbridge boys played much better in the second half, with Jordan Mount and Troy Pinion causing problems for the visiting defence. Mount took advantage of slack defending to run in for an unconverted try and reduce the deficit to 13-5. However, two minutes later, Norton kicked a penalty to secure the 16-5 victory for Lurgan College. Reuben McCreery, a Year 12 number 8, had a particularly impressive game for the visitors.
Grosvenor GS 24 Friends’ School 0
The Friends’ School, Lisburn team was missing a number of key players who were away on Ireland support duty when they travelled to play Grosvenor Grammar School. The hosts put an end to their opposition’s undefeated run by securing a 24-0 win. In an evenly contested first half Ben Davidson got the only score of the half when he capitalised on quick ball to cross in the corner. Adam Skelton converted for a 7-0 interval lead.
Jonah McDowell was able to kick through, gather the ball at pace and touch down for a second Grosvenor try. Skelton converted before breaking free to score his first try in four seasons. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful but the Grosvenor team now had a 19-0 lead. Chris Allen then scored a fourth try to secure their victory. Despite losing the game the Friends’ School team can take some positives from their performance and, in particular, the displays put in by Adam Milligan and David Newell.
Carrickfergus GS 19 Foyle College 38
Carrickfergus Grammar School hosted a Foyle College ‘Select’ XV in what was a game of two halves. The Foyle team scored all of their points in the first half. Mark Williams and Killene Thornton both touched down twice, with Matthew Orr and Joel Smyth each scoring once. Orr was successful with four conversion attempts to ensure his side enter the break 0-38 ahead.
The Carrickfergus Grammar School team recovered strongly and displayed great pride and commitment in the second half. They scored three tries from quickly taken penalties with Benji McKay, Captain, Nathan Fugard and the impressive Fionn McCormack all crossing the whitewash. Two tries were converted by Fionn McCormack which left the scoreboard reading 38-19 in favour of the Foyle College team at the end of the game.
RS Dungannon 7 Omagh Academy 10
Omagh Academy travelled to play Royal School Dungannon in a game they were determined to win before travelling to play tour games in Wales. They did just that with a fine 7-10 success over their Tyrone rivals. The hosts might have taken an early lead but for the heroics of Matthew Clyde and Fintan Lagan in the Omagh defence. Kyle Beattie then displayed great game management skills and pinned the Dungannon team back for long periods of time. The Omagh pack won the ball from an opposition lineout and good play by Matthew Hill and Clive Hawkes then paved the way for Matthew Clyde to touch down for an unconverted try and give Omagh a 0-5 lead, which they held onto for the duration of the first half.
The early stages of the second period saw the RS Dungannon pack on the attack once again. A sustained period of pressure finished with a try from ‘Man of the Match’ Peter Doran, who was put away by a clever offload from Adam Cranston. The try was converted by Adam Evans for a 7-5 lead. Omagh hit back; a lineout win by Oscar Nelson set the platform for a catch and drive, which was finished off by the captain, Clyde, for his second try of the game. There were no further scores, ensuring a narrow win for a well-drilled Omagh side.
Portadown College 15 Down HS 27
Portadown College hosted Down High School and could never recover from a poor first half. The visitors had built up a 8-17 lead by half time with tries from Robin Wilson, who finished off a charged down kick opportunity, Ronan Patterson, who took advantage of a line break from Marcus Graham, and Graham himself, who took advantage of a great offload from Patterson. Paddy Browne was successful with one conversion. The Portadown College points came from an unconverted try from Taylor Tweedie, following a catch and drive from a lineout, and a Michael Orr penalty.
Browne kicked a penalty in the early stages of the second half to increase the lead, before he combined with William Annett to send Graham in for his second try. Browne added the conversion to increase the Down High School lead to 8-27. Portadown replied with a try from Matthew Neill, which was converted by Orr, to leave Down High as 27-15 winners.
RBAI 27 Coleraine GS 5
Royal Belfast Academical Institution entertained Coleraine Grammar School in an entertaining game at the weekend. The Belfast Inst team had built up a 19-0 advantage by half time with tries from Corrie Barrett, Michael Lowry and David Whitten. James Hume added two conversions. In the second half RBAI extended their lead to 27-0 when Harry Gallagher scored an unconverted try and Ben McGavock was successful with a penalty kick. Calum Smith scored a late consolation try for Coleraine.
Ballyclare HS 14 Belfast HS 0
Ballyclare High School hosted Belfast High School in a scrappy game in which the hosts prevailed by 14 points to nil. They had built up a 7-0 lead by the interval with an Owen Hutchinson try, just before the break, which Alistair Burke converted. The Ballyclare HS team secured their win when Burke ran in for a converted try midway through the second period of play.
Dalriada School 35 Sullivan Upper 17
Dalriada entertained Sullivan Upper in an entertaining game the Dalriada team deservedly won by 35-17. ‘Man of the Match’ Stewart Moore scored a hat trick of tries for the home team with Andrew Stevenson and Thomas Hunter touching down for one try apiece. Moore had a great day with his trusty boot as well, converting all five tries. Rory Kilpatrick, Ruari Meharg and Dan Braniff were the players who accounted for the Sullivan Upper points in the course of the game.
Bangor GS 49 Limavady GS 17
Bangor Grammar School continued with their recent run of good form when they entertained a spirited Limavady Grammar School team and won the game by 49-17. Bangor GS started well with Connor McKee scoring an early try but the visitors got onto the scoresheet when their outhalf cut in for a converted try. The Bangor team then dominated the game for the remainder of the first half. They scored five more tries with McKee touching down for his second, Charlie Blair crossing twice and Lewis Brett and Zack Kerr scoring one try each. Kerr converted all six scores.
The second half was more evenly contested and the Limavady team scored two further unconverted tries to reduce the deficit to 42-17. Replacement centre, Chris Connolly then scored a fine individual try for his Bangor Grammar School team. Zack Kerr was successful with his seventh conversion of the game to complete the 49-17 victory for Bangor.
Campbell College 38 Regent House 0
No match report available.