Nerve for win
in the boys. They showed real character and they did really work for it at the end.
Though clearly disappointed that his charges had failed to at least tie the game with their second half surge, Down High School coach Charlie Knox expressed his pride at the huge effort they had made to rescue the game.
“The boys gave everything and we knew Sullivan would be very physical but I felt we matched that physicality for large parts of the game,” said Knox, whose squad now host Dungannon in the Subsidiary Shield quarter-finals.
“I’m very proud of the boys as they had done so much work to get here.
“Our early score gave us a lot of confidence but we were disappointed we didn’t get in again about 10 minutes later and then they went and scored their try.
“But the boys never gave up and kept going,” Knox stated.
“They created chances but we just weren’t as clinical as we should have been but, then again, credit for getting there in the first place and not letting our heads drop.”
Sullivan scored two tries on their way to victory with replacement prop Will Cave’s 29th minute effort, and Conor McKee’s conversion, tying the scores after Down High prop Aaron Haslett’s 10th minute score and Greg Hutley’s conversion had stunned Sullivan to put the visiting team 7-0 ahead. Hutley and McKee had then exchanged penalties to tie things up again at 10-10 at halftime which saw Sullivan then get the strengthening breeze at their backs.
Centre Andy McConnell’s 51st minute try, with an assist from winger Shay Storey, after Sullivan moved the ball from a scrum proved decisive with McKee — who had earlier landed a penalty — converting to push Sullivan 20-10 ahead.
Down, though, immediately struck back with a Hutley penalty and, though Sullivan centre Andy Weir had a late try ruled out, the remainder of the game was mostly about the visitors piling on the pressure and they came agonisingly close to scoring on two occasions. ARMAGH Royal scored seven tries while eliminating Cambridge House 45-0 in Ballymena.
Coach Willie Faloon thought his players adapted well to the conditions.
“It was muddy and not suitable for attractive rugby,” he said.
“Our opponents were a big side but young and inexperienced with great potential.
“We played in the right areas and up front hooker Jack Traynor and number eight Ryan O’Neill put in a tremendous amount of work.”
The try scorers were Traynor (2), Benji Boyd, Matthew Reaney, Jack Chapman, Charlie Worth and Johnny Agnew. Zac Thompson converted five.
The home coach John Nicholl acknowledged Armagh’s superiority. “They were impressive, showed their ability, tackled hard and used the ball more effectively,” he said.
“For us scrum-half Tom Wharry, centre Curtis Huey and full back Kane McIlroy were outstanding in defence.”
Wallace High are the fourth team with a home draw following their 38-5 win at RS Dungannon.
Luke McMullan was the home try scorer while Ben Carson (2), Jamie McNeight and Nathan Robinson all touched down for the Lisburn side for Nathan Doak to convert three and add four penalties.
Enniskillen Royal went in front with a Reece Smyton penalty but Ballymena Academy struck back to take a 14-3 interval advantage before winning 28- 10. It was the visiting pack that paved the way for success with second row Johnny Brown going in for the first which Bruce Houston converted.
A Houston kick in behind led to a Joshua McAuley score which was again goaled.
In the second half Enniskillen came back and dominated but the visiting defence held.
Patrick Hargy’s converted try made it 21-3 before crashed over for Smyton to goal.
Finally Stewart Moore added Ballymena’s fourth.
Coach Gavin Murray was pleased to have a run out after a barren five weeks.
He said: “They were a large side and we did well in the conditions. Prop Ben Savage and hooker John Glass were outstanding in defence.”
Rainey Endowed suffered injuries to two of their front five early on and never recovered at Bangor Grammar 12-3.
Harry Evans kicked their three points but once Bangor had the breeze in their favour they utilised it.
Ten minutes into the second period Aaron Sexton kicked for position and from a scrum full back Daniel Young ran in for Rhys Larmour to add the points.
The Magherafelt team fought back but were unable to take advantage of two penalties against the robust home defence.
A late tackle gave Bangor the opportunity to kick for the corner and following 12 phases Conor Lusty scored.
Coach Jason Morgan had praise for full back Young, second row forwards Riley Westwood and Robbie Winter, but he thought the man of the match was Gareth Wells.
“It was an outstanding effort to reach the last eight but the draw with an away tie at Methody could have been kinder,” said Morgan.