Coleraine 45 - 0 Portadown 2

Match Stats

Starting team

Subs Played

Score summary

Time	Player	Score

Match Report

On Saturday, Coleraine 2nd XV entertained their Portadown counterparts at Sandel Lodge, scoring six tries in the process, and recording a convincing 45-0 victory. After 5 minutes, Coleraine opened their account with a finely struck penalty from outhalf Michael Griffith. Shortly after, fullback John Henderson, having cleared from his own 22, chased and charged down the resulting ,Portadown clearance to score a try in the left hand corner. Griffith added the extras. From the restart Coleraine retained the ball, and following surging runs from props Aaron Gaston and Alan Sterling, Coleraine were on the Portadown 22. The ball was picked up at the base of the ruck by Andrew McKnight who scampered through a gap to score under the posts. Griffith again was accurate in his conversion attempt. Unfortunately, in the next phase of the game, Coleraine lost the influential Aaron Gaston to a dislocated shoulder, but the half time whistle saw a 14 man Coleraine team leading 17 nil.
Immediately from the restart, Coleraine were under enormous pressure from a resurgent Portadown. However, the visitors’ attempts to convert this pressure into points were thwarted by stout Coleraine defence, Richard Cochrane and Greg Neely to the forefront. Coleraine’s third try was arguably their best. From the Portadown 22 the ball was quickly spread, with centres Jonny Kirkpatrick and Stevie Patterson linking well to break the defensive line and the latter drawing the last man to put Callaghan in for a fine try in the corner. Again Griffith proved unerring with his conversion. Russell Smith, who was prominent in many of Coleraine’s attacks, made a run into the Portadown half, linking with Harry Tate who made good ground. Quick ball saw McKnight stride in for his second try. Two points duly followed courtesy of Griffith’s boot. Coleraine were clearly full of confidence at this stage and this was evident when Henderson gathered the ball in his own 22 and elected to run. Having beaten several players he was finally stopped on the Portadown 22 but used his strength to pop the ball to Callaghan, who ran in for his second try. Man of the Match, Michael Griffith, converted the try before scoring a fine try of his own, receiving the ball on the opposition 22 and side stepping his way past 3 players to score under the posts. A successful conversion left the final score 45-nil.

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