1st Beat Clonmel
3 April 2023
First AIL Match ends in Disappointment
11 October 2023Omagh Accies 1st XV continued their 2023/2024 season by travelling to Bangor RFC 1st XV in an Ulster Premiership Division 2 fixture on Saturday. With the good weather continuing, an end to end game took place at Upritchard Park with the heat getting to both sets of players on numerous occasions.
In an earlier than usual kick off of 1pm due to Ireland’s opening Rugby World Cup game against Romania, Omagh started slowly again and were 8-0 down after 20 minutes through a penalty and a try from the hosts. Building their way into the game, Omagh began to go through their phases and their patience paid off as tight head prop Simon Creane threw a dummy in the wide channels and went in unopposed from the 22. This was converted by Elliott and to bring the score to 8-7 but unfortunately the Accies could not hold out to half time and conceded a converted try to leave the score Bangor 15 Omagh 7 at the break.
Omagh knew they needed a much improved performance in both defence and attack in the second half and they got the first points after the break through a Ben Henry converted try to bring them back within a point.
Unfortunately for Omagh, as was the story all day, they could not keep out the hosts enough to get themselves into a lead and they conceded a penalty and a converted try to now trail 25-14 with around 20 minutes to go.
Omagh, who played some very entertaining rugby at points, got the next score through Reece Braden to reduce their arrears to 6 but again they conceded a converted try to leave the score 32-19 with 10 minutes remaining.
With the ball to the back of the lineout working like a dream all day and the maul functioning well Omagh made their way up to Bangor’s line and dotted down again through Joe Duff to leave the result on a knives edge at 32-26 with 5 minutes remaining.
Omagh, to their credit, threw everything at Bangor and when the hosts were reduced to 13 men it looked as if they might have a chance of getting a result. Unfortunately the hosts turned over the ball in their 22 and sent it to touch to signal the end of the game and a 32-26 loss on the road for the Accies.
An improved performance from last week from Omagh but they know they will have to go even further this week as newly promoted local rivals Clogher Valley come to town in what will be a bumper day at OARFC with the 2nd XV taking on their Clogher rivals too and the Club Dinner taking place that evening.
Everyone at OARFC sends their well wishes to number 8 Matthew Clyde and centre Dean Kane who broke their foot and ankle respectively – here’s hoping for a full and speedy recovery!
OARFC 1XV (1-20)
D. Braden, P. Ewing, S. Creane, Ja. Sproule, R. Sproule, R. Braden, S. Wilson, M. Clyde, L. Hamill, S. Elliott, R. Mitchell (c) J. Kyle, Sc. Ballantine, M. Eccles, B. Henry, M. H-Brown, G. Sherrard, J. Duff, D. Kane & J. Wood.
Other Results:
OARFC 3XV 24 Dungannon Rugby Football Club 2XV 28
Clogher Valley RFC 3XV 19 OARFC 4XV 28
OARFC U18 21 Clogher Valley RFC U18 12
OARFC LADIES 0 Malone RFC Women's Team 61
