Clogher claim win at Malone

CLOGHER Valley’s first ever game in Energia All-Ireland League 2B proved a successful one as they claimed a 24-20 victory away from home at Gibson Park against Malone.

David Maxwell kicked with precision on the day as the flowing rugby Stephen Bothwell’s side pride themselves upon overcame the set-piece power of their Belfast hosts on the day.

Karl Bothwell opened the scoring for Clogher with a try converted by Maxwell before the home side struck back with two converted efforts of their own.

But back came the newly promoted visitors with a try from Callum Smyton, who briefly played for Malone a couple of years ago, with Maxwell again adding the extras.

The to and fro nature of the game continued as Malone again edged ahead with a penalty before Maxwell levelled matters.

As the game wore on it appeared narrow margins would prove the difference and that assumption was correct as Clogher decided to kick for the corner rather than the posts fairly late on and earned a maul try from Aaron Crawford, converted by Maxwell to edge them 17-24 to the good.

And in the end that crucial decision and play proved vital as Malone could only knock over one further penalty as Clogher held on for a confidence boosting four point triumph.

“I’m delighted to get that away from home,” Clogher head coach Bothwell beamed. “We were 7-0 up and playing really well in the first 20 minutes, nearly as good as we could play. But we knew they would be set-piece orientated and they got us into that bit of an arm-wrestle, got a couple of scrum penalties.

“We had a couple of injuries in the pack, so that required a bit of jiggery-pokery, but the boys did really well to stick at it.”

While pleased with their opening day win on the road, Bothwell isn’t getting carried away because he knows tougher tasks and weather conditions lie in wait, with at least potentially one of those on the horizon this coming Saturday when Wanderers, who beat Rainey 38-10, visit the Cran.

“It was a hell of a game. I don’t enjoy it but I knew watching it that it was a good one for people to watch. It was a game of contrasts. They had the bigger pack and we were moving the ball, but the worrying thing is that it was a good day to move ball so what happens on the days we can’t!,” Bothwell pondered.

“It’s a big lesson for us because it shows us that we have to be correct in more things we do. Our lineout went really well and our bits of the game, we played really well and they hung onto us.

“It’s a learning curve because I don’t know what else we’re going to come up against but we’ll know a bit more next week when the ones who are tipped to win the thing are coming to us.”