Skerries v City of Armagh – 29/10/2016

Ulster Bank All Ireland League Div 2B in Holmpatrick    –    29/10/2016

Skerries:  16   (C Tonge 2 tries, P O’Loghlen 2 pen.)

City of Armagh:  32   (H Young try 2 pen 3 con, A Birch J Faloon N Faloon try ea.)

The League leaders came to Skerries and after the eighty minutes is was clear to the enthusiastic

crowd why they sit at the top of the League as they came away with a four try bonus point victory.

Skerries had played well in patches but found the pace of the visitors just too hot to handle.

The home team had most of the possession and nearly all the territory in the first fifteen minutes but

ended up trailing to a well taken try scored by the Armagh number 7 Allister Birch. Paul O Loughlen

struck back for the goats with two well taken penalties. The Armagh out half Harvey Young

responded with two penalty kicks to leave the score 11- 6 with half time approaching. Just before the

whistle for the break, Chris Tonge scored a well worked try after the pack had mauled some 15 yards

to the try line.O’Loughlen’s conversion was narrowly wide and so the teams ended up level at 11

points all as the referee Chris Harrington blew for half time. After the break the Visitors were first out

of the blocks and their influential fly half Harvey Young scored a brilliant individual try which he

converted himself. Minutes later John Faloon scored another well worked try which was also

converted and that effectively killed off the Skerries challenge.

The matter was put beyond any doubt as the Northerners upped the pace which resulted in another

try for their big number 8 Neil Faloon which Harvey converted for good measure.

There was a feeling that the flood gates might open but the true character of the home team was

displayed and they upped their game in the last quarter and were rewarded with another try by the

excellent Chris Tonge.

Skerries could have had another try after some more very good mauling down the right side

but time ran out and the Visitors went home with 5 points in the bag .

 

 

Skerries next fixture is against Thomond on Saturday Nov 5th. in Liam Fitzgerald Park, 2.30pm.

Skerries team 1 to 20….Mark Nally Chris Tonge Neil Martin Joe Glennon Tom Mulvaney Thomas O’Hare Evan Sherlock Ross McAuley (capt) Eoghan Carron Paul O’LoghlenPaul Devitt Michael Turvey Lorcan Jones Eddie O’Mahony Maurice McAuley AJ Sherlock Kieran Leonard Cormac Marrey Ruari Woods Mark Oliver