By 
OMAGH Accies fell to a disappointing 30-14 defeat at Ulster Championship One leaders, Portadown, on Saturday, when the disciplinary failings that have blighted the last few seasons continued to haunt the men from the Thomas Mellon Playing Fields.
Stewart McCain’s men started strongly, matching their Chambers Park counterparts in the early stages with a penalty try keeping them on level pegging before the home side enjoyed a purple patch to lead 20-7.
Again, the Accies responded with a period of possession and they were rewarded with a good try through Scott Ballantine, converted by Conor Watherson Spencer. Unfortunately for the Accies, Portadown struck again with an unconverted effort to leave it 25-14 at the interval.
The teams all but cancelled each other out in the second half, with the only score coming from an unconverted Portadown effort as they won by 16 points in the end.
“It was tough,” Accies skipper Matthew Clyde acknowledged. “It was just one of those games when we gave away a lot of penalties at crucial times and gave them too many opportunities.
”We took our scores well any time we did keep possession and we put them under pressure early on but a lot of penalties put them in good positions and they punished us from there.
“They played well and got a couple of quick scores that put us under pressure but the penalties and our discipline at times let them into the game.”
Omagh will be hoping to bounce back from Saturday’s disappointment when they return to home comforts against CIYMS in the league at the weekend.
