Final four spot for Down High

Final four spot for Down High

16 February 2022

DOWN High’s first XV entertained familiar rivals Omagh Academy in Downpatrick on Saturday morning for their quarter-final tie in the Danske Bank Subsidiary Shield. 

The two sides met in the opening fixture of the season with Omagh winning 22-10 on that occasion.  

The game didn’t get off to an ideal start for Down High when in the first minute, number eight, Rhodri Phillips, made an uncharacteristic error that provided Omagh with a platform to cross for an unconverted try in the corner. 

Within minutes Phillips had made amends when he finished off an excellent Down High multi-phase attack scoring under the posts and leaving himself with a straightforward conversion which he duly slotted over. 

Omagh, who were playing with the strong wind on their backs in the opening half, applied most of the pressure for the next period of the game and after Joseph Dooley was carded for an accumulation of penalties by the home side, Omagh opted for the posts and added three points to regain the lead. 

In the 18th minute, a Down attack that was reminiscent of the one that had led to their opening score, brought play deep into Omagh territory where captain, Cameron McCaughey, showed great footwork and power to dive over under the sticks for a try which Phillips easily converted. 

Omagh were not to leave the first half without reply. With five minutes to go in the half they kicked a penalty to the corner and executed an effective catch and drive line-out to bring the deficit to one point at 14-13. 

The home support were glad to see the conversion attempt bounce back off the uprights. 

Down maintained their slender lead into the break when they would turnaround to play with the wind in the second period.  

Throughout the second half, Down half-backs, Benjamin Hart and Brian Mitchell, managed the wind advantage very effectively to maintain territorial pressure on the County Tyrone school. 

However, it was the green forwards who capitalised on this pressure scoring all the points that would see the local school comfortably through to the semi-finals. 

In the 44th minute second-row, Reuben McKibbin touched down, in the 50th minute hooker, Fionn Carey got over the line and Ryan Connolly got Down’s fifth and final try of the day seven minutes from time with Phillips converting two of these tries. 

With a minute to go in the fixture, Omagh did manage to score a consolatory, unconverted try, although Down High’s controlled attack and physical defence were too strong for a repeat of the early season outcome between the two sides.  

In other Down High fixtures last week, a hybrid U-13/U-14 team came from behind to defeat Clounagh U-14s 28-19, while the U-12s added to their impressive record this season with four victories over Methodist College, Belfast.  

The Medallion B XV also defeated Omagh Academy’s Medallion team 5-0 on Saturday morning in a pre-cursor to the first XV game. The next games will be on Saturday, Feburary 26 when the Medallion XV take on Sullivan at home in the Medallion Plate semi-final (10.30am K/O) while the first XV have drawn RS Dungannon away on the same date.