Ophir 2's back on track with a hard fought win

Ophir opted to play with the strong breeze behind them but it was Dungannon who took the early territorial advantage.

The Ophir defence managed to stifle the visitor's onslaught and kick their way out of trouble. From a line out on the Dungannon 22 metre line the ball swept to midfield and Ophir were awarded a penalty for going over the top in a ruck. Out half, Alan Davidson made no mistake with the kick and Ophir led 3 - 0. It didn't last too long; from the restart the Dungannon centres combined to take play to the Ophir line. Ophir did well to get the ball back but dropped it in an attempt to kick clear. Playing advantage, the Dungannon pack got over the line but the ball was held up. It didn't matter - from the ensuing 5 metre scrum, the Dungannon pack drove Ophir back over the line to touch down. The conversion put the visitors 3 - 7 in the lead. But Ophir responded immediately and Alan Davison landed his second penalty of the afternoon. For the next 20 minutes, both teams thrilled the spectators with a first class display of the best of rugby - recycling the ball, the break of a tackle, finding the tiniest of gaps, swift and slick passing, but above all, ferocious tackling. In that torrid atmosphere, Ophir came closest to scoring when centres Alan O'Neill and Dean McNeill combined to come within inches of the Dungannon line. But the scoreline remained 6 - 7 in Dungannon's favour at half time.

Having lost Alan Davison to a shoulder injury just before half time, Ophir's full back, Craig Smith took on the responsibility for goal kicking and early in the second half he put the home team in the lead with their third successful penalty. 8 minutes later, Dungannon were back where they felt they deserved with a 1 point lead after Ophir conceded a penalty. Given the efforts of the first half it was inevitable that mistakes began to creep in on both sides - losing possession in the tackle, fumbling the ball and forward passes galore. But it was when Dungannon were again in the ascendancy that Ophir struck decisively. In the 30th minute Scrumhalf Jamie Mawhinney took the ball from an untidy scrum, passed to stand-in outhalf Brendan Wade who passed to centre Alan O'Neill who, under extreme pressure from the Dungannon defence, managed to pass to Craig Smith, who made 40 metres before drawing the Dungannon fullback and passing to winger Stevie Hastings on the '22' to evade a last ditch tackle to score in the corner. Phew! The conversion was missed (because the ball fell off the kicking tee) but Ophir led 14 - 10. From then to the end of the match, Dungannon hurled themselves into the attack but the Ophir defence withstood it all and were relieved to hear the final whistle.
Well done to both teams on a good, well tempered competitive game of rugby.