Enniskillen 1st XV 16 Randalstown 2nd XV 0

 

Enniskillen 1st XV set up a mouth watering local derby semi-final clash against Clogher Valley at the Cran in the Powerade Towns’ Cup after they produced a fine performance with a 16-0 win overTowns’ Cup holders Ballynahinch 2nd XV in their quarter-final tie at Mullaghmeen on Saturday.
All the scores for Skins arrived in the first half with Adam Lendrum kicking two penalties before Mattie Maguire touched down under the posts. Lendrum then added the conversion before slotting over a further penalty to leave it 16-0 at the finish.
And in the second half, Skins withstood everything that Ballynahinch threw at them to take the scalp of the reigning champions and book their place in the last four of the competition.
It was a performance that delighted Skins coach Norman Richmond who was full of praise for the efforts of his players.
“The team played with a passion and desire not seen for a while,” he said. 
“They put their bodies on the line and delivered an 80 minute performance that reiterates that rugby is still very strong in the West of the province. 
“I’m really pleased that the players have taken this next step in their season and a step that I believe that they fully deserve, I’ve believed in them over the last two seasons and this result is justified.” 
The game started quickly and the Hinch team declared their hand early, they looked to run the ball at every opportunity only to be hit by a wall of maroon jerseys at every turn. Attack after attack was repelled by the excellent defence of Enniskillen. 
The pack led by Kaine Holden continued to make life difficult for the Hinch team, with Nick Finlay and Adam Lendrum’s exit strategy keeping Skins in the right part of the field. 
Hinch had two opportunities to kick for goal but decided to play into the corners, requiring good defensive work in the line out to keep the scoreboard at bay.
Enniskillen were then rewarded with a penalty just inside the Hinch half on the touchline and Adam Lendrum, who continues to grow in stature within the team, calmly and confidently struck the ball between the posts to give Skins a 3-0 lead. 
Within minutes again Hinch infringed on the other side of the pitch and Lendrum took another three points leaving the scoreboard 6-0. 
The game continued with both sides trading good attacking opportunities but nobody able to break the line.
 From a scrum, Nick Finlay whipped the ball out to Lendrum to release Alan Wilkinson at centre who crashed the ball up committing two of the Hinch defenders before popping the ball up for Mattie Maguire who glided through and beat another two defenders to score under the posts, and Lendrum duly converted the additional two points leaving the score line 13-0 to Enniskillen. 
This passage of play certainly took the wind out the Hinch sails as they started to bicker amongst themselves, from another play they caused a further infringement and Lendrum again slotted three points just before half time leaving the first half 16-0.
At half time, the focus was clear, the players knew that they were going to be into a torrid next 40 minutes as Hinch would not and are not a team to lie down and relinquish their grasp on the Towns’ Cup easily. 
The game continued in the same vein as the first half as Hinch played an expansive game but each attack was thwarted by great defence. 
Ten minutes into the second half and a lazy attempt to roll away by a Hinch player at the breakdown resulted in Michael Cadden getting 10 minutes in the bin for his actions as he made sure that the Hinch defenders would not make the same mistake again. 
The resulting penalty attempt was missed by the Hinch centre. 
This was a tense 10 minute period playing with 14 men against an ever attacking Hinch team; a clever break down the blind side saw Ashley Finlay grubber the ball down the pitch and Stevie Neill, who had replaced Zach Charlton on the wing, harried the Hinch 15 who failed to find any distance from his kick. 
Man for man every Skins player worked their bodies to the limit quelling any chance that Hinch created. 
With 20 minutes to go, and Cadden back on the field, the game intensified and Mullaghmeen became a bubbling cauldron. 
The players ball retention was key and they ultimately starved them of any possession to release a fancied Hinch backline. 
Hinch attacked relentlessly, and at one point after an excellent break down the wing, superb tackling from Ashley Finlay and James Ferguson saw the attack fail short of the line. 
Captain Alan Wilkinson rallied all the players again as the time continued to tick away asking a selfless performance to ensure that the line wasn’t going to be crossed, to be fair to the visitors they threw everything at the home side but couldn’t break the line. 
The final whistle went leaving the score line Enniskillen 16 Ballynahinch 0 and Skins proceeding into the semi-final and a local derby clash.