Clogher 1st XV 7 Cooke 1st XV 19

Clogher Valley’s difficult start to the new season continued on Saturday as they suffered their third league reversal against Cooke a side, who like Clogher, are struggling to find their form. 
There is a rebuilding process going on at the Cran this season with some experienced players stepping aside but a Breen try had helped Clogher into a 7-3 half time lead. However,it was Cooke who were to get a grip on matters in the second half and after taking the lead through two further converted penalties, they touched down two late tries to run out 19-7 victors at the Cran.
Cooke opened up briskly and should have gone ahead after three minutes but their kicker pushed a fairly straight forward penalty wide. 
The away side would dominate territorially in the early stages but they rarely threatened the Valley line. 
Indeed it was Clogher who were first to ‘draw blood’. 
Ryan Wilson headed a break out that took play deep into the visitors half. A solid scrum saw Wilson ‘on the hoof’ again, when he was held up the support piled in behind him and Breen touched down from the ensuing maul. 
Trotter added the extras and it was game on. 
Cooke returned to the offensive with the play being orchestrated by their talented No 10. 
Eventually on thirty minutes a Cooke penalty reduced the arrears to four points. 
A Philip Wilson dazzling break had the home support buzzing but alas there was little else to enthuse about as the game drifted aimlessly towards the break with Clogher holding a 7-3 advantage.
The second half was more of the same. 
Clogher were comfortable at scrum time but the line out, again, was malfunctioning. 
The breakdown area is still a concern with too much hard earned possession being turned over. 
Initially Clogher’s defence was good but as the half progressed it began to creak and would ultimately lead to the defeat. 
Nine minutes into the half a Cooke penalty further reduced the arrears. It was now a one point game. 
After another nine minutes the visitors took the lead courtesy of yet another penalty to make it 7-9. 
Try as they might the Valley were struggling to get any control and couldn’t build the phases. 
Ryan Wilson, not for the first time in his career, was the Valley talisman and when he was harshly yellow carded the writing was clearly on the wall. 
Cooke spurned an easy penalty attempt to try to capitalise on Clogher’s seven man scrum. 
A solid scrum and aggressive tackling by Clogher made them rue that call. Minutes later another penalty but on this occasion it was sliced wide. 
Cooke were building ‘a head of steam’ with the ball being moved quickly from the contact areas. 
Eventually on the stroke of full time their winger squeezed in at the corner for a well worked try which went unconverted. 
And they were not finished yet. 
Deep into injury time they struck again ghosting between the Clogher defences for a second try that would deny the Valley a valuable losing bonus point.
Next up is the away trip to Ballyclare. 
The Cloughan is a tough place for any visiting team but the Valleys record there is not bad. 
What better place to kick start the season.