21st January 2008

Armagh kept their hopes of a good league finish alive on Saturday last at the Palace Grounds when they beat Coleraine 17-10. In doing so they overtook Coleraine in the league table and took over the favoured fourth place.

While the retention of the Qualifying League title is now mathematically impossible with Portadown racing away, to climb to second or third position is still possible, especially as Armagh have games in hand.

However, there are two difficult away games against Cooke and Coleraine to come.

Saturday’s game is difficult to draw conclusions from with Armagh having a dreadful start and being 10-0 down at half-time. Their performance was much better in the second half with three fine tries being score.

The result was that Armagh were seeking a bonus point for a fourth try towards the end of the game whereas they had appeared to be totally destroyed at the same period of the first half.

The fact that they can recover from an unfortunate position and finish so well on top should give them added performance.

Two home games are due this week. On Wednesday night (23rd January) the rearranged league fixture against Dromore is scheduled for an 8-00pm kick-off and on Saturday the second round Towns Cup game against Donaghadee is scheduled for a 2-30pm kick-off.

Coleraine began the game well putting on all the early pressure. A penalty kick struck a post but they scored their first try after 14 minutes. The try, in the left corner, was not converted but they continued to apply the pressure. In fact Armagh failed to get out of their half for 20 minutes.

Both sides missed penalties but Armagh were putting in good pressure in the scrums. Coleraine were holding their own pretty well in line-outs although James Morton managed to steal a Coleraine ball.

Coleraine scored another try in the same corner 20 minutes into the game in the same left corner. This also went unconverted. A mark and follow-up kick by Johnny saved Armagh on the point of half-time leaving the score at 10-0.

Armagh began the second half with in much better fashion and scored a good try after 9 minutes. Neat passing sent Peter Elliott into the same spot as the first two tries. Once again there was no conversion.

Armagh should have added another try but a knock-on spoiled things just short of the Coleraine line. An attempted drop-goal went wide but Armagh’s attacking play was by now going very well. A great take by Peter Elliott gave Adam Gowing an excellent try at the posts.

For the first time the conversion was successful, by Johnny Steenson, and for the first time Armagh took the lead at 12-0.

Brian Bassett was replaced by Stephen Morton who took over in the back row with Joe Clarke moving into the second row. Johnny Allen scored a fine try following a break down the same left wing; yet again the conversion went wide. By now Armagh were comfortably in the lead at 17-0.

The remaining few minutes posed a problem for Armagh, they could either push hard with penalty kicks down to the corners seeking a fourth try to secure the bonus point. Alternatively they could take all the point from penalties and deprive Coleraine of their bonus point for keeping the score gap at 7 points.

In the event no further try was scored and no penalty was attempted so both sides gained something.