Skins ready for Ballyclare must win game
Editorial Department • Published 12 Jan 2012 13:00
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Skins' James McIntyre is tackled by a Dungannon player on Saturday.<<
Enniskillen 1st XV 10; Dungannon 2nd XV 13;
Enniskillen crashed out of the Towns' Cup at the first time of asking and the remainder of their season will now be concentrated solely on trying to gain promotion from Qualifying Two. That in itself, will be a tough ask although it all remains in their own hands, as Skins who lie fourth in the table but have to play all the teams around them.
That starts this week with an away trip to third placed Ballyclare that Skins simply have to win. Team captain Alan Wilkinson agrees.
"It is a must win game. If we suffered a fourth league defeat, then I think that would be too much. We have to play Coleraine and Omagh at home as well, so it is still in our own hands but we must win on Saturday," explained Alan who is out for a month after picking up a knee injury in Saturday's defeat.
He added: "We played reasonably well on Saturday. Dungannon were a well drilled out fit and we just did not get the rub of the green. We had a few boys out but the boys that came in did well but we know we will have to improve further to beat Ballyclare. Hopefully, Saturday's game will stand to us after the lay off and Ballyclare seem to be improving as the season goes on. It is though a game we have to win."
Saturday's encounter against Dungannon was hard fought throughout with Skins fielding a realtively inexperienced side and Dungannon really taking the game by the scruff of the neck at the start of the second half as they run in a converted try and lofted over a penalty to lead 13-3.
Skins did fight back and a converted try from Robbie Murray only left three points between the teams but the Skisn could not get the score they needed to win or draw the game.
As mentioned, this was a tight encounter with opportunities at a premium. Indeedm only a Dungannon penalty stood between the two sides at half-time despite Dungannon having been reduced to 14 men owing to a yellow card for a later tackle. Indeed, Skins probably shaded the first half but their cause was not helped when they lost skipper Alan Wilkinson to injury with Gavin Parke coming into the backline after a reshuffle.
Perhaps the game winning period was the opening ten minutes of the second half as Skins were caught cold by a terrific burst from the visitors coneceding firstly a penalty after four minutes and then a soft try on ten. Sandwiched in between, Scott Burrell did bring 'Skins briefly back into contention, but the pressure from Dungannon broke the game open as they now led 13-3.
After this scoring flurry, the game reverted to type with Skins trying hard but they were unable to break down the visitors' organised defence and the closest they came was a penalty dropping just under the bar and another striking the junction of post and crossbar.
With time running out, Skins did finally get the breakthrough with Robbie Murray popping up in midfield to coast through and over the line for a try, which Tiernan Daly converted. Try as they might, the Skins could not get another score to keep them in the cup as Dungannon progressed.
This result will defeinitely be a blow to Skins, but did come when they were without a number of regulars, and they will have to pick themselves up for the trip to Ballyclare next Saturday to face a side who have turned their season around since Skins beat them at home earlier this season.
Fixtures
1st XV - Away - Ballyclare
2nd XV - Away - CIYMS
U/19s - Home - Armagh/Monaghan
Youth - Home - Donegal
This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 12 Jan 12
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