Portadown 1st XV 7 Enniskillen 1st XV 36

Enniskillen made it five wins and a draw from their opening six league games with a resounding 36-7 win away to Portadown on Saturday.

Tries from Keenan and Ingram helped Skins into a 12-0 half time lead and despite a number of injuries in the second half they added further tries from Keenan, Ferguson, Beatty and Rutledge to run out comfortable winners.

The game played in dry conditions with a reasonable wind, which they took advantage of in the first period. Half-backs, Mattie Dane and Eddie Keys, used it well to keep field position.

The scoring was opened when a deft kick from Keys to Sam Balfour, was passed inside to Keenan, to cross for an unconverted try.

Skins kept the pressure on. From an ‘up and under’, James Ferguson regained possession with a catch that would have been at home at Brewster Park. Jack Rutledge then made the first of several line breaks before off-loading to Keenan.

After a series of rucks, the backs attacked blind and Keys put a ‘grubber’ through for Harry Ingram to score. Keys converted from wide left to leave the score 12-0 to Skins at half-time.

Shortly after the restart, Ferguson broke though, set up a ruck, from which the ball was moved quickly to Keenan for his second. Now into the wind, the conversion went narrowly wide.

Skins were soon to be knocked out of their ‘comfort zone’ however. Ingram had retired with an injury before Oisin Timoney and then Stephen Balfour also had to leave, to be soon followed by Eddie Keys.

This led to a very significant reshuffle in the backs. Timoney bravely came back on to play in the centre, with Keenan joining him, to replace Ferguson, who went to 15 and Foster moved to 10.

In this period Portadown scored a converted try to make it 17-7. They then camped on the Skins’ line but the defence held firm and James Ferguson made a shuddering tackle in midfield, that led to a turnover.

Ferguson effectively then finished the game off, with a phenomenal solo effort , running the full length of the field. Just when it looked like Portadown might make it a one score game, Ferguson’s try, converted by Foster, left it 24-7.

Portadown didn’t recover from that and Skins would run in two more before the end, with Foster converting one. First Henry Keys took a quick tap, fed Reece Barrett, who had stayed on the field, despite a nasty leg injury.

He offloaded to Jack Rutledge, who fed Keenan and on to Mattie Graham, before the ball was moved wide right, for Beatty to touch down in the corner.

Skins’ final try came when Foster made a typically ghostly break through the middle, the forwards carried and rucked before Neill Rutledge crashed over.

Foster converted and the final whistle was blown.

This Saturday Skins play Grosvenor at home. (Kick-off 2.30pm.)