By 
ENNISKILLEN extended their lead at the top of the Ulster Championship 1 standings to four points with a strong 52-24 victory over Omagh Accies on Saturday.
Having looked dead and buried after 20 minutes when they were 24-0 down, Omagh showed pre-Christmas resilience with tries from Ryan Mitchell, Sam McKenzie (2) and Atina Toeoaana, as well as two Connor Watherson Spencer conversions to bring it back to 24-31 early in the second half.
Unfortunately, Enniskillen took charge from that point on, scoring all too easily in the closing stages to win by some margin in the end.
Early on, Enniskillen converted Omagh pressure of a scrum 10m from their own line into an attack which led to Stevie Balfour getting onto the end of some great inter-passing. Angus Keys then scored the visitors second try, followed by a length of the field run by James Trotter for the third.
Eddie Keys converted all three and a penalty, into a strong cross-field wind that was slightly in Omagh’s favour in the first period.
With 20 minutes gone, Skins were leading 0-24 but Omagh responded brightly with an unconverted try and then another, which Connor Watherson Spencer converted, to leave it 12-24 at half-time.
Omagh started the second half with a score that they converted to close the gap to one try but the Skins bounced back with some strong running rugby and interplay, adding further tries from Charlie Logan, George Foster, who sprinted through onto a fine grubber kick by Logan, Michael Rooney and Niall Keenan. Keys knocked over all the conversions.
Omagh scored a fourth try, to secure a bonus point but it went unconverted.
Meanwhile, in the Danske Bank Schools Bowl draw, Accies player, Ryan Mitchell’s Omagh Academy team will entertain Accies coach, Stewart McCain’s Enniskillen Grammar in the first knockout round early next month, while in the Schools’ Cup proper, former Omagh Academy PE teacher, Ross Hunter’s Rainey Endowed will travel to David Riddles’ Royal School Dungannon.
