Enniskillen 1st XV 19 Ballyclare 1st XV 29

Enniskillen 1st XV suffered a 19-29 defeat to Ballyclare last Saturday in a wet and windy day at Mullaghmeen. Skins stayed in the game and pushed hard throughout with some excellent scores and a bruising performance from the forwards, but injuries, errors and penalties combined to leave Skins without league points from the contest.

It was an arm wrestle in the early exchanges after the Ballyclare kick-off and Skins defended the big Ballyclare side well, but errors at the Skins lineout in the conditions made it difficult for them to get out of their half, despite a well-worked penalty at the ruck won from Oisín Timoney to relieve pressure.

Errors under the high ball gave Ballyclare another opportunity and frustration crept in from Skins now as they began to creep offside and leak penalties to the visitors.

The defence from Skins was admirable, but given the amount of territory dominance the visitors had, it seemed a matter of time, and Clare scored 10 minutes in from a lineout and maul on the five-metre.

Skins responded immediately with probably their first attack in the Ballyclare half.

Off a lineout outside the 22’ James Balfour at first receiver somehow coasted through a pair of defenders and was taken down just short of the five-metre line. Dane quickly fed the ball to Jack Rutledge, who powered over the line, 5-7.

A shaky restart from Skins put them back under fire and they couldn’t seem to get out of their half. Penalties began to leak now and soon Ballyclare patiently built pressure before scoring again off short-range carries from a lineout five metres out, leading 5-14 now at the half.

Skins attacked well at the outset of the second half and made great ground against the visitors, but two knock-ons blunted momentum and returned possession to Ballyclare. Then a slipped tackle in midfield gave the ball carrier a soft 15-metre gain and Ballyclare exploited the disorderly defence to shift the ball wide and score their third try, 5-21.

Pressured

Skins pressured the restart well and finally got some time in the Clare half.

Carries from Carleton and Neil Rutledge made great ground in attack and the visitors began to give away penalties under pressure.

As it seemed like a try was surely coming, a penalty went against Enniskillen for holding on at the ruck and Ballyclare had another spell of relief.

Skins showed their attacking ability yet again however, carrying from their own half to come back at Ballyclare, the visitors giving way at the ruck as they tried to slow their progress.

From the kick Skins set up a well-worked lineout and maul which approached the five-metre line and then began a series of carries which ended with Neil Rutledge crossing the line, converted to trail 12-21.

Ballyclare showed their own attacking ability after the restart, exploiting an overlap out wide to round the Enniskillen defence and score their fourth try, 12-26.

Again from the restart, Clare ended up back in possession after an error in the Skins scrum and ended up kicking a penalty shot at goal to lead 12-29 and put the result within three scores.

Skins to their credit continued to battle, pressuring the restart and winning a penalty.

From here they set up camp and and fought for a consolation score, James Balfour crossing the line after some forward grunt work.

Converted by Hill to finish 19-29.

There was plenty of fight in the Enniskillen side and glimpses of great rugby, but again refinement is needed to get them to the next level; unforced errors and penalties making the game seem an uphill struggle for Skins throughout, albeit there were unforeseen challenges – winger Mark O’Shea left the field a half-hour in with a broken jaw, and we wish him all the best on his recovery, while scrum half Matthew Dane also came off in the second half with a hamstring strain.

Skins will have a good opportunity to right wrongs this weekend as they travel to Cooke, a side in good form who will be a tough task, but a victory or fitting performance could galvanise the side.