Banbridge men fail to make it four from four

Banbridge 21

HAVING begun something of a winning run, Bann travelled to Hamilton Park on Saturday with high hopes of securing a fourth consecutive victory.

However they were to return home empty-handed following an ultimately frustrating 30-21 Ulster League defeat to Ards.

In a game greatly affected by the heavy rain which continued throughout, it was the home team who perhaps adapted better to the conditions and overall were just about worthy of their four try to three victory.

Bann started the stronger of the two sides and scored their opening try within two minutes of play. Picking up from a ruck some 15 metres out, scrum half Neville Farr threw a dummy before darting in under the posts for the score. Out-half Robin Thompson, who has been in fine form with the boot in this opening month of the season, converted to give Bann a 7-0 lead.

This advantage though would prove to be short-lived as home centre Taylor Ferguson broke through for the first of Ards’ three first half tries some three minutes later to peg the score back to 7-5.

Play was reasonably well balanced although with their line-out functioning well and Chris Allen and Jonny Gibson working well to disrupt opposition ball, Bann probably had the balance of possession.

It was Ards though who would score the next two tries, showing more of a cutting edge when in the opposing 22. Their second try of the game came on 23 minutes when open-side Ryan Diver went over with centre Jason Morgan converting.

Their third try came approaching half-time when a well worked move resulted in full-back Chris Agnew diving over under the Bann posts. Again Morgan converted to give the home side a 19-7 lead.

Knowing the next score was vital if they were to work their way back into the game, Bann replied with a try of their own with the final move of the half. Following a five metre line-out, Simon McKinstry was on hand to pick up and drive over after open-side Mark Wilson had been stopped a metre short. Thompson converted to leave the score at 19-14 in Ards’ favour at the interval.

The second half followed a similar pattern with Bann having more possession but Ards perhaps looking more dangerous with the ball in hand.

Bann however enjoyed a period of territorial dominance and it came as little surprise that they took the lead ten minutes into the half. Following his hat-trick against the same opponents last season, Captain McKinstry looked like he had thoughts of repeating the dose when he scored his second and the team’s third try of the game.

Again it was a close-range effort, the big second row taking a pass from Farr a couple of metres out before driving over. Thompson’s conversion gave Bann a 21-19 lead.

The lead would prove short-lived however as Morgan added a penalty five minutes later before the same player intercepted a loose Bann pass to run in for a try from fully 80 metres. This took Ards’ lead to 27-21 with 63 minutes on the clock.

The locals had much of the remainder of play but the only further score was to come from Morgan’s boot with his injury-time penalty taking even a losing bonus point beyond Bann’s reach.

What was perhaps most annoying for the locals was that they forced a number of line-outs within 10 metres of the Ards line but were unable to fashion the try they required, leaving them frustrated to have taken nothing from a game they could easily have one.

However there were a number of positive points that can be taken from the game. The line-out was working well with hooker Paul Ross throwing well as part of a fine all round performance. The scrum looked strong, gaining the upper hand over Ards as time went on whilst Wilson was man of the match, making excellent ground time and again, driving forward with the ball in hand.

Furthermore, Richie Finlay made a welcome return after a long period out injured, having a twenty minute run out at out-half.

So, in summary, there is still much to work on but also plenty to build upon as the October 2 start to the All Ireland League approaches. This Saturday Bann host Ballymena, hoping to cut out the mistakes and put together a performance that will give them the confidence required for kicking off their AIL campaign away to Kildare side Barnhall the following week.