Omagh Beat Limavady
19 October 2026
Accies Make History with Emphatic All Ireland Junior Cup Victory
Dunmore RFC 14 – Omagh Accies RFC 43
Omagh Accies RFC made history on Saturday with their first ever appearance in the All Ireland Junior Cup, and it proved well worth the wait as they stormed to an emphatic 43-14 victory over Dunmore RFC in County Galway. With Storm Boelo bringing driving rain and a fierce crosswind, conditions were miserable for rugby, but the Accies overcame the elements to secure a memorable victory and book their place in the next round. Omagh made a strong start, with Connor Watherston-Spencer breaking through the Dunmore defence to set the tone. The visitors soon established dominance at scrum time, pinning the hosts deep inside their own 22. A succession of powerful scrums eventually brought the opening score, with the referee awarding a penalty try and sending a Dunmore player to the sin bin. The home side responded and were handed an opportunity when Shea Daly received a yellow card for a high tackle. However, the resulting penalty attempt drifted wide of the uprights. Omagh continued to dominate territory, with Matthew Clyde held up over the line following a sustained period of pressure. Dunmore then produced their best attacking spell of the half, with a powerful break down the wing looking destined for the try line until Joe Duff produced an outstanding covering tackle to deny the hosts. At the other end, Oisin Hone sparked a superb 50-metre counterattack, combining with Scott Barr and Scott Elliott to bring Omagh back into scoring territory. A dangerous tip tackle on Barr saw Dunmore reduced to 14 players for a second time, but despite kicking to the corner, the Accies couldn’t add to their tally. For all their dominance, Omagh had just seven points to show for their efforts at the interval. Half-time: Dunmore 0 – Omagh Accies 7
The second half was a different story as Omagh found their clinical edge and began to turn pressure into points. Robbie Sproule secured clean lineout possession before the Accies pack drove towards the Dunmore line, with Phil Ewing applying the finishing touch for his first try of the afternoon. The visitors struck again shortly afterwards, thanks to an outstanding intervention from replacement Glenn McKinley. Fresh off the bench, McKinley blasted three Dunmore players out of a ruck to force a turnover. Clyde and Robbie Sproule exchanged passes before the Omagh number eight powered over for another score. The Accies were now firmly in control, and their powerful driving maul was proving unstoppable. Another penalty was dispatched to the corner, Sproule again secured the lineout, and Ewing steered the resulting maul over the line for his second try. Watherston-Spencer added the conversion as Omagh raced into a 24-0 lead.
Dunmore refused to surrender and capitalised when Scott Ballentine was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on. The hosts kicked to the corner and crossed for a converted try to finally get themselves on the scoreboard. Any hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished as Omagh produced another sweeping attack. Moving the ball from one touchline to the other, Hone was eventually stopped five metres short before Stewart McCain delivered a short pass to the rampaging Jamie Sproule, who crashed over for a deserved try. Dunmore continued to battle and grabbed their second converted try after working through several phases inside the Omagh 22, finding space out wide to reduce the deficit. However, the Accies saved some of their best rugby for the closing stages. From a scrum near halfway, Joe Duff, now operating at number eight, picked up from the base and set off on a sensational 45-metre dash. Showing remarkable pace, Duff left the Dunmore defence trailing before touching down in the left corner. Watherston-Spencer added an excellent conversion from the touchline.
There was still time for one final Omagh flourish. Robbie Sproule disrupted a Dunmore lineout to regain possession before McCain, Watherston-Spencer and Barr combined brilliantly to carve open the home defence, with Barr finishing the move. Watherston-Spencer added the extras to complete the victory. Full-time: Dunmore RFC 14 – Omagh Accies RFC 43
It was another impressive performance on the road from the Accies, who overcame difficult conditions and a stubborn Dunmore side to produce a fine all round display to book their place in the next round. Coaches Stewart McCain and Stephen Welsh will be particularly pleased with their side’s second half display, as Omagh’s forward dominance and attacking quality eventually proved too much for the hosts. Attention now turns to two demanding league fixtures in Championship 1, with a trip to Dromore next weekend followed by a home clash against Portadown. But for now, the Accies players, coaches and travelling supporters can savour a historic afternoon in County Galway. The quarterfinal of the All Ireland Junior Cup will be played on Saturday 14th November 2026.
