Leaders Garryowen are pushed hard by ‘Hinch during fightback

Leaders Garryowen are pushed hard by ‘Hinch during fightback

3 November 2021

BALLYNAHINCH welcomed league leaders Garryowen to Ballymacarn Park on Saturday as they searched for their first win of the new AIL season.

Rory Butler was back from injury in midfield and in the absence of props Kyle McCall and Ben Cullen, Harry Simpson and Peter Cooper made their first AIL starts of the season alongside Ulster hooker Tom Stewart.

Zack McCall packed down in the back row with Ulster releases Reuben Crothers and Marcus Rea.

The home team won the toss and, after electing to play into a strong breeze and a low sun, and were distinctly out of sorts in the opening quarter.

They were passive in defence, in contrast to the ferocious physicality of the opening three fixtures, and Garryowen, who were visibly bigger all over the park, cashed in with two almost identical tries in the first quarter.

Hooker Pat O’Toole scored them both from close range line-out drives and the superbly accurate boot of young out half Tony Butler added two conversions and a penalty as Ballynahinch struggled to gain any kind of foothold in the game. 

An improved second quarter performance was undone by another close range Garryowen score just before half-time from flanker Jack Daly, driving over close to the posts after a series of strong carries from the away side.

At the break Ballynahinch found themselves 24 points down and were clearly on the wrong side of the referee at the breakdown with a high penalty count allowing their Limerick opponents to dictate field position and territory.

A fast start to the second half was crucial if a demoralising defeat was to be avoided and Ballynahinch clearly upped the tempo on the restart.

They scored from a line-out maul through Rea to get themselves on the board. Tony Butler then calmly slotted over another penalty to maintain a three score lead but that would be the last time Garryowen troubled the scoreboard as Ballynahinch found their rhythm and piled on the pressure.

Replacement lock James Simpson superbly gathered his own charge down and scored after 48 minutes to make it 14-27 and the local outfit were snapping into tackles and charging into collisions with much more purpose.

Aaron Cairns then scored from the move of the match on 60 minutes to give everyone at the ground the sniff of a real upset win.

Shane Ball showed serious speed to tear up the blind side from inside his own half, cutting inside only to be hauled down on the Garryowen 22. The ball was flashed wide from the ruck and superb work from Butler in the wide channel put Cairns over in the corner. 

Greg Hutley missed the difficult conversion but Ballynahinch were clearly in the ascendancy and with 20 minutes to go and a baying crowd roaring them on a win looked possible.

Garryowen’s response was to slow the game the game down in true Munster fashion and suck the energy out of the occasion.

They managed the game well and the chance of a win disappeared when, having turned down a relatively straightforward penalty at goal to kick for the corner, Ballynahinch lost the ensuing line-out. 

The possibility of a win had now become a desperate chase for a bonus point and despite a dubious yellow for the outstanding Marcus Rea on 70 minutes, the home side continued to push forward.

They received a lifeline in the final minute of normal time when Garryowen infringed at the breakdown, but replacement out half Jack Milligan pushed his kick just wide of the post.

The home side were not to be denied, however, and Garryowen’s time wasting tactics came to the aid of ‘Hinch as deep in injury time they were awarded a penalty in an identical position. Milligan made no 

mistake this time and gained a vital losing bonus point for his side.

Ballynahinch remain winless from four games, but have played the top three teams and given an excellent account of themselves. They are well conditioned to play for 80 minutes and are clearly playing for each other.

The next two games will be crucial as they are against the teams at the bottom end of the table — away to UCD this weekend and a big home tie against UCC on November 20. All support will be welcome.

Ballynahinch (1-21): H Simpson, T Stewart, P Cooper, T Donnan, J Donnan, Z McCall (capt), R Crothers, M Rea, C Gibson, G Hutley, P Wright, R Butler, R Wilson, A Cairns, S Ball, J Dickson, D Vidal Souza, J Simpson, T Strydom, C McAuley, J Milligan.