BECTIVE SQUEEZE BY TRINITY
29/01/2011

Trinity 16pts – Bective 23pts

This was a classic game of two playing styles, played in good conditions at College Park on Saturday.

The students were glad to be back in College park for the first time since early November. They started the game brightly,  moving the large Bective pack around the field with some exciting running rugby. Unfortunately ball handling mistakes tended to stop real progress as Bective punished the home team with a fabulous display of kicking from hand and for goal.

The visitors who are third in the league were very well organised in what they do, which is a very narrow game plan complimented by accurate kicking. They defended well and slowed the ball down both legally and illegally whenever they could. The students tried to play at pace and with width and early on split the Bective defence almost at will.

The trend of the match was set in the opening minutes when Bective opened the scoring with a penalty after not having touched the ball! Trinity had attacked from deep,  were judged to have infringed for not releasing in the tackle.

Trinity came back and scored a superb try with Captain Scott LaValla very prominent handling twice in a sweeping movement which centre Conor Colclough finished for a great try.

Bective came back to kick three more penalties for various technical infringements. James O’Donoghue kicked a penalty for the students to close the score to 12-8.

Just on half time Trinity conjured up another superb try when wing Shane Hanratty was put away out wide to outsprint the cover and put Trinity into the lead going into half time 13-12.

In the second half Bective dominated both possession and territory for the first 25 minutes. Trinity simply could not get their hands on the ball. When they did they tended to force the ball and turn it back over to their grateful opponent. Bective regained the lead to go 20-13 up with another penalty and a try from close in.

As always Trinity fitness levels kicked in and they took the game to their fast fatiguing visitors in the last 15 minutes. They attacked with plenty of spirit, but at times the skill levels let them down in what they were trying to do. James O’Donoghue kicked another penalty to close to 20-16 and they looked set to steal the game. But Bective had other ideas and kicked another penalty after a huge error in judgement under the Trinity goal posts.

Trinity attacked to the end with #8 Alan Mathews making a powerful break and James O’Donoghue looked to have Shane Hanratty in space out wide only for the ball to end up in touch, which was the story of the day for the home team.

This was a better performance by Trinity.  They travel to Ballynahinch ( top of the league) next Saturday; this should be the stiffest of tests for the students.

15 James O’Donoghue,14 Shane Hanratty, 13 Conor Colclough, 12 Tim McCoy, 11 Neil Hanratty, 10 Ciaran Wade (Dave Joyce 68), 9 Sam Bell (Mick McLoughlin 55), 1 Ian Hirst (Paddy McCabe 60), 2 Mark Murdoch (Craig Telford 60), 3 James Gethings, 4 Scott LaValla, 5 Pierce Byrne, 6 Johnny Iliff, 7 Dominic Gallagher (Dermot O’Riordan 45), 8 Alan Mathews.

 

In Lansdowne Road back pitch Trinity U20s had a heart breaking loss against Lansdowne 16-10. This was a big improvement from their 34-0 hiding earlier in the season. The U20s looked to have clinched the game late with a pushover try from a line out, but the referee judged Trinity to have detached from the maul early and going “truck and trailer”. A massive call after a 30 metre maul!! Trinity also had other efforts squashed as the home team hung on to win.

 

 

 

 

 

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