Students send Hinch toppling from league summit
BALLYNAHINCH’S 25-15 defeat by Queen’s means they drop from League leaders to fourth in the SONI Ulster Premier League table.
With each team now having two fixtures to complete the programme only two points separate the top four. Undefeated Malone and Queen’s, with three bonus points, have 11 points with Banbridge on 10 and Hinch nine.
The title will not be decided until December 29 but the next series of games on the Saturday before will be a pointer as Queen’s travel to Malone and Banbridge entertain Hinch.
It was an indisciplined Hinch performance as close to 20 penalties were conceded and backchat on two occasions gave the students an extra 10 metres. Full credit to the visitors who took their chances and fully deserved the four-try bonus point after trailing 10-15 at the interval.
There was a brilliant Hinch try in the first minute when a slick passing move led to winger Connor McPhillips evading two tackles to go in. Ten minutes later Conor McKee levelled before Jonny Black made it 10-5.
Richard Reaney (right) reduced the arrears with a penalty before a knock on close to the Queen’s line ‘robbed’ the home side of a try.
Right on half-time the visitors were pressurising but Hinch broke out of defence for McPhillips to go in for his second.
Hinch lost Ollie Loughead to the ‘bin’ and visiting No 8 Tyler Arnold took advantage to cross for Johnny Milliken to goal. Hinch appeared to be frustrated with their play and errors crept in. Queen’s went on to add a Milliken penalty and a second McKee try.
Malone gained revenge for last week’s Cup defeat at Ballymena with six-try 46-17 victory at Gibson Park.
The visitors never got started in the first period and found themselves 29-0 in arrears at half-time. Callum Smith kicked a penalty and converted three of the tries from Conor Spence (2), Davy McMaster and Jack Milligan. Smith later had a second penalty and added the points to a Ben Halliday try before Josh Pentland converted his own score.
For Ballymena Glen Bailie had a try and a conversion with the other scores coming from Conor Smith and Johnny McMullan.
In the other Division 1 game, Banbridge needed two late tries to defeat Armagh 22-18. Adam Doherty had a large part to play in both scores by Andy Morrison and Niall Armstrong.
He also contributed a penalty and two conversions with John Porter crossing for the first. Conor Fox kicked two penalties and converted one of the Armagh tries by Nigel Simpson and Andrew Willis.
In Division 2, Rainey and Belfast Harlequins remain undefeated and they meet at Magherafelt on December 22.
Rainey ran in five tries with Scott McLean converting four in their 33-26 success against Bangor. Quins pipped Omagh 27-26 in an entertaining game which had eight tries while Dungannon virtually out of the title chase in third proved too strong for City of Derry 22-5.
In the Junior Cup tie transferred to Shaw’s Bridge Cooke eliminated Coleraine 39-13 and they now face Ballynahinch II in the second round on Saturday.