Valley produce second half comeback to seal semi spot

Clogher Valley produced a stirring second half rally as they booked their place in the last four of the Powerade Towns' Cup at the expense of Portadown at the Cran on Saturday.
Trailing 12-0 at half time, Clogher appeared to be in trouble, but they dug deep after the break and played some great rugby to go on and seal a 21-17 win.
"It was a really good cup tie," said Clogher coach Davy Black. 
"We were caught sleeping in the first half an in fairness to Portadown, they really put it up to us. 
"We got it turned though before half time and in the second half we used the ball much more wisely and went on to play some really good rugby."
In a match packed full of cup tie endeavour and enterprise, it was Portadown who started best. 
Immediately on the front foot, Portadown had Clogher Valley in trouble after four minutes when they brought play deep into the home side’s 22. 
A series of recycles and passive Valley tackling saw Portadown score their first try close to the posts. 
The conversion was added to give Portadown a 7-0 lead after seven minutes.
A few minutes later Portadown were awarded a penalty following an infringement at the scrum. 
The resulting kick, just around halfway, was missed. 
At this stage, save for a Ryan Wilson break on the left, Valley could not get into the game, with all the play being made by Portadown. 
Further Portadown running from deep, with Valley tackling largely absent, saw Hall score the visitors’ second try after 17 minutes. 
The conversion was missed but the visitors were more than good value for their lead at this point.
The second quarter eventually saw Valley eke their way back into the game.
 A great tackle by Mark McKenna, who was to go on to produce a man of the match performance, on the Portadown 10 metre line forced the turnover. 
Breen brought play into the Portadown 22. 
With a series of scrums and lineouts in the Portadown 22 it seemed inevitable that a Valley score would result. 
However, resilient Portadown defence and poor kicking and option-taking by Valley saw the quarter end without any further score and it remained 12-0 to the visitors at half-time.
With the watching Valley supporters worried by the fairly abject performance of the home side in the first half they hoped that the restart would see a change in fortune. 
They were not to be disappointed. 
A more purposeful Valley team engineered themselves into good field position inside the Portadown 22. 
The referee yellow- carded a Portadown forward after several penalties. 
A series of rumbles saw a Valley maul drive over the Portadown line with Eugene McKenna claiming the touchdown. 
Trotter added the conversion to see the Portadown lead reduced to 12-7 after 46 minutes.
Better was to follow a few minutes later when the Valley pack, warming to the task, again rocked the Portadown eight back with a series of thrusts and mauls with Cobain grounding the ball wide out. 
Holmes, returning from injury, slotted an excellent conversion to give Valley a 14-12 lead after 51 minutes.
With the game breaking up, Portadown sought to restore their advantage as they brought play right back into the Valley half. 
Great tackling, by Falconer and Mark McKenna in particular, seemed to initially snuff out the visitors’ attacks. 
A break on the Valley left by Portadown was to split the defence and Hall ghosted through a gap to score visitors’ third try. 
The conversion was missed and Portadown were leading 17-14 after 57 minutes.
In a testament to the team’s commitment, Valley fought back. 
A trademark break by Falconer up the middle produced a penalty to the Valley. Holme kicked to the corner. 
The Valley pack secured the ball at the lineout. The maul moved left and then right. 
A final surge infield saw Cobain going over for his second try. 
Holme added the conversion to see Valley leading 21-17 after 61 minutes.
The rest of the final quarter saw the match played largely in the Valley 22 with Portadown laying siege in a nerve-jangling finale. 
Superb organisation by Valley at the lineout was to repel at least three Portadown attempts to maul the home side’s pack back. 
A try-saving turnover by Treanor at the breakdown, close to the Valley posts, relieved pressure at a vital moment. 
The sheer never-say-die commitment of the Valley defence on several occasions was to save the day for the home side. 
No further scores materialised and the match ended Valley as the 21-17 victors.
In summary, an exciting Towns' Cup tie with a breathtaking display of will to win by Valley in the second half earning the victory. 
They will await the draw for the semi-final of the Towns Cup, due to be played on March 12.
In the meantime they meet league leaders, Instonians, in a Qualifying One encounter next Saturday at Shaws Bridge and it is a game that Black accepts that they have to take something out of if they are to keep their league hopes alive.
"In terms of the league, we have to take points of Instonians as you can't see them losing too many more games before the end of the season. 
"The boys though are in good form and we'll be looking to go their and give it our best shot," he added.
Elsewhere,  i was a positive week for Clogher Valley, Ian McKeown’s 2nd XV continued its unbeaten run in 2016 with an away league win at Dromore. They play Rainey in the Quarter Final of the Crawford Plate at the Cran next Saturday. 
Most encouraging of all was the securing of the league by Richard Haire’s impressive Under 14 side who provide great hope for future of the club in its 25th year.