Clogher Valley 1st XV 25 Dromore 1st XV 10

Clogher Valley progressed to the last eight of the Towns’ Cup with a morale boosting win over Dromore at the Cran on Saturday which will hopefully also add confidence to their bid to stave of relegation. 
Valley’s reward has been a tough home draw against Armagh 2nd XV, one of the favourites for the Towns’ Cup, on Saturday, February 24.
This was a tight encounter throughout with the Valley stepping up the pace in the second half as some excellent play and superb defensive work set up a 25-10 win that pleased coach Davy Black. 
“It was a very, very pleasing win and the manner of the win and the confidence it will give to the players can only be good for the rest of the season,” said Black. 
“The defence was excellent and this win was built on the back of our performance against Inst last week when the defence was again superb. Mark Ellis at scrum half and Neil Trotter at out half were superb while young Johnny Porter at seven was excellent. It is great to progress in the cup and now we will concentrate on the league but definitely there is improvement and that is heartening. Armagh will be tough in the next round but it is a home draw and that is all you can ask for,” said Black.
Dromore took the lead from a long range penalty before Valley started to get their game going and secured some good possession from a lineout. They went through the phases and from a rolling maul prop Neil Henderson crossed for a try to give Valley a 5-3 lead. 
Some of this good work was undone when the Valley missed four tackles which allowed Dromore in for a converted try to give them the superiority once again at half-time 10-5. 
Clogher tweaked things a little at the break and this paid dividends as they took the game by the scruff of the neck as they run in 20 points without reply in the second half to seal their progress into the quarter-finals’
Ryan Wilson used all his strength to burst through from outside the 22 for a try that was converted by Neil Trotter as Clogher held a two point lead at the break, 12-10. Trotter then kicked two penalties to consolidate the Valley lead as their pressure took its toll on Dromore. 
The visitors were far from finished though and they took the game to Clogher but the Valley defence did superbly to repel all that Dromore could throw at them. 
Indeed, in doing so, it was Clogher who finished the stronger as hooker Kyle Cobain finished off some good play to cross for try with Trotter adding the extras to make it 25-10 at the final whistle.