Conference League games can sometimes prove to be uneventful, as the Qualifying League carries greater importance and is therefore much more competitive. However, there was an extra spice to this fixture given the dramatic and controversial circumstances of the last meeting of these teams in the Towns Cup. Unfortunately Bangor were unable to field a similar side this time, and had to draw heavily from their 2nds players who had been involved in their own league competition a few days earlier. The coaching staff also used this game to give some players their first taste of 1st team rugby. To add to the occasion, this game marked the retirement from competitive rugby of Ricky Armstrong, a long serving and loyal member who had captained the club on several occasions.

If expectations weren’t high as game got underway, the spectators were pleasantly surprised when the Bangor players came out of the blocks with speed and determination and within minutes had taken a 5-0 lead through a Dave Miller try close to the right hand touchline. Neil Cuthbertson maintained his uncanny knack of hitting the upright with the conversion attempt. Unfortunately this lead was short lived. With plenty of movement through the backs, Hinch were causing Bangor problems and very soon exploited a gap in the defence to score an unconverted try and level the scores at 5-5.

It soon became obvious that while Bangor were on top in the forward play, the Hinch backs enjoyed the upper hand when running with the ball in hand. Their speed of attack and slick passing was proving to be a handful for the Bangor defence and within 10 minutes they had scored again, this time with a successful conversion to lead by 5-12.

Bangor wisely played to their pack’s strength and, keeping the ball close, moved back into the Hinch twenty two. As play got closer to the goal line, Hinch conceded several penalties in their attempts to prevent a Bangor score. Eventually, from a penalty in front of the posts, Neil Cuthbertson stepped up and converted the kick to bring the score to 8-12. However, on the 30 minute mark, another Hinch back line move produced another score which extended their lead to 8-17.

Although the Hinch line-outs performed well, their scrums were coming under repeated pressure and, as the half drew to a close, this was once more exploited by Bangor as they pushed their opponents off the ball, allowing Curtis Stewart to pick up at number 8, and dive over for a try.
With the game now unusually deep into added time, the Hinch backs once again came to the fore, this time running in to score under the Bangor posts and make the half time score 13-24.

This late score was a blow to Bangor who now faced the difficult task of having to come back from such a deficit. To add to Bangor’s woes, experienced hooker Andrew Jackson was unable to continue and was substituted by Mark Crockford, playing his first senior game for the club. However, the Bangor forwards continued to turn the screw and were soon taking play deep into Hinch territory. Once again, the visitors conceded numerous penalties and scrums as they tried to halt Bangor’s progress. From one of these penalties, Paddy Dornan took a quick tap and made a charge for the line, scoring on the left hand side. The conversion was missed, but the gap had narrowed to 18-24.

Both sides were now wise to each other’s strengths, and although Hinch continued to attack primarily through their backs, the Bangor defence were now better organised and able to plug the gaps that had caused them problems in the first half. Unfortunately for the Hinch pack, and front row in particular, they were less successful in matching their counterparts and, after 15 minutes of play, found themselves defending a Bangor line-out on their own 5 metre line after another penalty infringement. The ball was well taken by Bangor and the drive started again, with the finishing move and subsequent try coming from the rookie hooker Mark Crockford. Cuthbertson’s difficult night with the boot continued as the conversion was missed, but now Bangor were just behind at 23-24.

As the game entered the closing 10 minutes, the referee finally ran out of patience with Hinch’s persistent penalty infringements and yellow carded their hooker as a result. The penalty looked kickable, but Bangor opted for the line-out and drive option that had worked well for them throughout the game. Unfortunately, on this occasion it was disrupted and the opportunity was lost. This disappointment was then compounded when, after the resulting break from defence, Hinch were awarded a penalty in Bangor’s twenty two which they successfully converted to stem the home side’s flow of points and stretch their lead to 23-27.

Undeterred, Bangor came right back and laid siege to the Hinch line, and although they had managed to get over the goal line, the referee judged that on each occasion the ball had been held up. Again, the Hinch penalty count continued to mount up, but eventually this strategy proved successful as Bangor’s frustration at being prevented from completing their attacks resulted in a penalty for Hinch which allowed them to clear their lines. Having regained possession, Hinch were able to run down the final minutes and secure the victory.

As with their earlier meeting at Ballynahinch, Bangor should have won this game, but in defeat they displayed courage, determination and above all integrity. It was also fitting that, in Jamie Clegg’s absence, the side was captained by Ricky Armstrong who once again led by example. The club recognises and values the contribution Ricky has made both on and off the field of play, and now wishes him a restful retirement. However, like so many successful TV series, there’s probably a ‘Christmas Special’ in him yet!

Bangor side: J Leary, A Jackson (M Crockford), P Dornan, A Rushe, M Duffy, J Henly, R Latimer, C Stewart, R Armstrong (c), M Thompson, D Miller, M Baillie, S Addy, N Cuthbertson, M Widdowson

Subs: M Crockford, G Gout

Bangor scores: D Miller (1T), C Stewart (1T), P Dornan (1T), M Crockford (1T), N Cuthbertson (1P)