1st XV beat Ballymoney

Monday, 31 January 2011 09:47

 
Academy 38 - Ballymoney 17

Back to the ‘Fort for the first time in months, and on a mild afternoon too! In January!!

The game started in a helter-skelter fashion, with B’money getting on the scoreboard first with a penalty on 2 mins: 0 – 3. From the restart we got a bit of shape together, and pressed them back into their half, on 5mins, we made a mess of a B’money LO with Chris McCarey pouncing on the ball as it rolled into the B’money goal area: 5 – 3. We maintained our shape and retained most of the possession for the next 10 mins, when on 14mins gone, we drove-recycled-drove-recycled to the B’money goal line, for Jamesy McKay to burst over from 2inches out!! “Too tall” Ball converted (or did he): 12 – 3.

Our ball retention and continuity over the next 20 mins seemed to rattle B’money, and their discipline started to crack, however, our last pass, or final decision seemed to let us down. We failed to capitalize on our only scoring opportunity – a missed pen. On 24mins, Norm was taken out off the bal,l and the first B’money player saw yellow. Graeme D then left the field on 27mins, after collecting a whack in the cheek/nose area – Hendy replacing him. The disruption unsettled us and we went to sleep to allow a soft try on 30 mins: 12 -10. We recovered and on 36mins, our “Thomas the Tank” – Nasher, burst onto a floaty pass to nowhere, and blasted in form 20m, Maori-sidestepping all the way, “TT” Ball converting: 19 – 10. B’money collected another yellow, again for foul play before half time – not so good.

Half-Time: 19 – 10

We blitzed B’money from the restart. On 41mins, from a LO, “Thomas the Tank~” repeated his earlier break from a tap, fed Hubby who jinked towards the line and fed Will Martin to finish off under the posts with a flurry, TT” Ball converting: 26 – 10. On 44mins, Chris McC broke through the B’money deference on their 10m line – kicked ahead, recovered the charge down, and slipped the ball inside to Captain Kyle, racing up inside and there was no stopping him from 20m, TT” Ball converting (no he didn’t!!): 31 – 10. We went to sleep at the restart and B’money got a soft try on 46mins: 31 -17.

On 48mins, Chris McC, from his “armchair” at the rear of our dominant scrum, picked up and blasted through the B’money defence, fed Will in pursuit, who passed “Drico-style” in contact to Skip Dobbin, in support to add his second try,  TT” Ball converting (I think?): 38 – 17.  We dominated the game from then on, but failed to add to our score despite some real chances. Jamesy McKay came off to be replaced by Ricardo “Permatan” Press for the last 20 mins.

Unfortunately, two nasty pieces of foul play by B’money were the headlines in the last 20mins. On 66mins, the B’money #5 added a straight red to his earlier yellow card, for several head shots to Chris McCarey on the ground – really nasty. On 74 mins one of the B’money forwards went down in a heap after failing to break an Academy leg in a soccer style challenge. Convinced the guy was badly hurt – the ref blew with 6mins to go and didn’t wave any cards. Game Over.

 
Final Score: Academy 38 – Ballymoney 17

Six Academy wins on the trot now……a job well done, and a great show of discipline for a bonus point win.

The Management……