Promotion hopes are all but ended

Suttonians 14

Banbridge 10

BANBRIDGE’S run of success in the All-Ireland League ground to a halt on Saturday at the sunny JJ McDowell Memorial Grounds when Suttonians deservedly maintained their 100% record for the season on their home patch.

The pain of defeat intensified when other results began to come through and in particular news of Midleton’s demise at Chambers Park where relegation-threatened Portadown sprang the surprise of the day.

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A Bann win last weekend would have seen them travel to Midleton at the end of the month with a resurrected chance of promotion. That is now gone and the team’s display against Suttonians suggests that perhaps the young Bann side is not yet ready for Division Two rugby.

There were a number of personnel changes from the last AIL outing against Portadown. Ryan Patterson moved in to partner Simon McKinstry in the second row with Jamie Johnston restored to the middle of the back row. Alex Malcolm moved from centre to out-half with James Andrews filling the midfield gap.

Bann were on the rack for long periods of the first half as the heavy Suttonians pack tried to batter their way through to the line. They failed in that task but three penalties in the opening 20 minutes from the boot of scrum-half Adam Griggs allowed the scoreboard to reflect to some extent their undoubted domination of the exchanges.

Bann introduced Ashley Finlay to the fray after 25 minutes with Malcolm moving from out-half to centre at the expense of the unfortunate Andrews, who had hitherto played a full role in his side’s defensive battle.

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A fleeting visit to the opposition half allowed Neville Farr to kick a 30 metre penalty for the visitors. But Suttonians were soon back probing at the Bann defences across the width of the pitch.

A try looked certain when the impressive Suttonians No 6 found himself in possession just 10 metres out and only Adam Ervine blocking his path to the line. But the young full-back put in the bravest of tackles to stop his much heavier opponent in his tracks and keep the line intact.

The pressure was relentless and relief only came when the half-time whistle blew with Suttonians again within spitting distance of the line.

The re-start saw an immediate transformation with Bann setting up camp inside the opposition 22 and within five minutes taking the lead. Lineout ball was secured five metres out and as the attack edged forward relentlessly through a series of rucks, the ball was eventually grounded on the try line by flanker Stephen Irvine. Farr’s well-struck conversion edged his side ahead by a solitary point.

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Bann continued to hold the upper hand, winning a couple of kickable penalties with the kicking option being rejected in favour of the punt down the pitch for an attacking lineout. Unfortunately they were unable to reprise their earlier feat so after 20 minutes played out largely in the home half they had failed to build on that fragile lead.

A long Finlay kick from just inside his own half gave Ervine the chance to go head-to-head with the Suttonians winger in a chase for the ball. But the short in-goal area beat them both as the ball ran over the dead-ball line. That was to prove crucial to the outcome of a finely-balanced game.

Play resumed with a Suttonians put-in to a scrum on Bann’s 10 metre line. From the ensuing play Bann were penalised, setting up a lineout five metres out from the visitors’ line before lock Aidan Kearney forced his considerable bulk over the line for a try. Griggs’ conversion was wide of the mark but it proved irrelevant as the home side safely saw out the 10 minutes remaining, denying Bann even the sniff of the try they needed to retrieve the situation.

With a bizarre mix of results at both ends of the Divison Three table, Bann still find themselves well-placed for a top four play-off spot. Midleton are next up on March 27 followed by the last game of the league season, a home fixture against league newcomers Navan on April 11.

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This Friday night sees Bann play their opening game in the First Trust Ulster Senior Cup, a quarter-final tie at Dungannon. The two sides last met on December 19, when the Stevenson Park side came out on top 10-5 in an Ulster League fixture played at Rifle Park.

Dungannon will be hoping for a cup run to give their confidence a lift after a string of AIL failures. In any case it will be a stiff test for Bann and an indication of their ability to bounce back after Saturday’s lacklustre display.