On a cold and breezy, but thankfully dry morning in Larne, Larne Grammar hosted Bangor Grammar in a Danske Bank Schools Cup Pool D match.
The hosts started much the brighter, being on the front foot from the get-go. After sustained pressure in the Bangor 22, Ryan McDowell came up with the ball crossed beside the posts to give the hosts the lead. The conversion slotted over from Ethan Duncan, made it 7-0.
Still the dominant team in the first quarter, Larne once again made their pressure pay and McDowell went over for his brace on 16 minutes. 12-0.
From this point Bangor seemed to pick up their game and came more into the match. However, despite spending a lot of time in the Larne half, had nothing on the board to reward their efforts. A penalty to Larne on the blow for half-time saw Duncan stretch the hosts’ lead to at least 3 scores, making it 15-0 at half-time.
Early in the second half a break and and excellent run by Thomas Patton gained a lot of territory for Larne. Bangor briefly gained possession, but Larne’s Vice-Captain Ethan Anderson popped up with the ball and jinked over for a nice team try. The conversion despatched again by Duncan gave Larne what looked like an unassailable lead going into the final quarter of the game. 22-0.
Bangor maintained the admirable effort they had showed throughout the contest to this point and threatened in Larne’s 22, but Larne cleared to near halfway where McDowell picked up the ball and sprinted into Bangor territory and all the way to between the posts for his hat-trick! Larne’s Will Millar got the afters this time to make it 29-0 and definitely put the game to bed.
That said, Bangor heads didn’t drop too much, although they knew the game was gone, and Jamie Flynn eventually went over with just a minute left to give the visitors some deserved points for their never-say-die attitude. 29-5.
Larne weren’t finished yet though, and they went straight up the other end for Jonny Dallas to go over, with the conversion again from Millar to make it 36-5 at the end.
Match Gallery
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