TOWNS CUP
ENNISKILLEN 38
BANGOR 14
By Roger Corbett
ONCE AGAIN Bangor found Enniskillen too hard to handle, this time losing by a 38-14 margin in the second round of the Towns Cup.
The last time these two sides met in the competition was in March 2016, in the final at Kingspan Stadium which Bangor won 31-25. Only three players from that Bangor side took to the pitch on this occasion – Gareth Millar, Mike Weir and Rob Gamble – but the most notable additions were the debut appearances of Jake Burns and Frankie Shivers for the 1st XV.
Jake and Frankie have come up through the club’s youth ranks and were also part of cup winning teams at Bangor Academy, and are great examples of the successful collaboration between the club and the school. Hopefully they will continue to enjoy success at the club’s top level.
In better than expected playing conditions at Mullaghmeen Road, Bangor got the game started. Good early possession and pressure presented Rhys Larmour with the first point-scoring opportunity of the afternoon when Bangor were awarded a long range penalty, however the kick at goal was just wide of the mark.
Bangor continued to plug away with most of the possession, but with Enniskillen’s first attack of the game they outpaced the visiting defence to run through and score under the posts.
Bangor repeated their slow but steady advances until a penalty close to the Enniskillen line was taken quickly and, a few phases of play later, Blair Morgan was on hand to power over from close range for Bangor’s opening try. Larmour’s kick was successful this time, levelling the scores at 7-7 after 20 minutes.
Bangor looked comfortable when in possession, but when under attack the cracks were plain to see. As Enniskillen worked their way into Bangor’s 22, a straightforward back line move took full advantage of a gaping hole in the Bangor defence to run in their second converted try.
Bangor tried hard to contain this scoreline until half time, but with the last play of the first half, they fell to another well worked move that once again exposed the defence and resulted in another converted try, with Enniskillen leading 21-7 at the break.
Unfortunately for Bangor, the second half immediately picked up where the first half ended, with the home side running around and through the Bangor defence to stretch their lead to 28-7. In the space of two minutes before and after the half-time break, Enniskillen had raced ahead and set Bangor a massive mountain to climb.
To their credit, Bangor worked hard to halt the flow of points against them, and even managed to claw back some points from a Rob Gamble try and Larmour conversion. However, despite their efforts, they were unable to sustain this brief counter-attack and, with Enniskillen ready to pounce on any chance they were given, they slipped further behind to a penalty and converted try which brought the final score to a somewhat flattering 38-14 victory for Enniskillen.
Bangor can take some heart from their strong showing in the scrum and lineout set pieces, and also in the sustained periods of possession. However, the old nagging problems associated with handling errors and poor tackling remain, and these need to be effectively addressed if Bangor are to enjoy a return to winning performances and compete for a top-four league finish.