Boxing Day matches at Upritchard Park have, in previous years, been generally focussed on the social rather than competitive aspect of the game. This year, however, the Ulster Branch appear to have regarded this as just another Saturday in an already busy schedule of fixtures. Although Bangor were determined to go ahead with the game, the weather did all it could in the preceding days to put a spanner in the works. A special word of credit is therefore due to both groundsman Stephen Ferris and the unsung volunteers who worked right up to Boxing Day morning to ensure the pitch was playable.

As the rain started to fall again, but in otherwise still conditions, Bangor got the game started. With both sides suffering disappointing results the previous week in the All Ireland Junior Cup, the focus now was firmly back on the domestic league, with Bangor hoping to retain their top spot and Clogher Valley trying to close the gap from their current third position.

From the outset, Bangor looked sharp and within one minute were awarded a penalty on the Clogher twenty two, just out to the right hand side. Santa had obviously called at the Widdowson household as Mark was sporting a new pair of bright pink boots. Unfortunately, he mustn’t have had time to read the instruction manual, as the kick was both low and wide of the posts.

However, having retrieved possession from the Clogher drop-out, for the next 20 minutes Bangor’s unrelenting pressure kept play inside Clogher’s twenty two, coming close on a number of occasions but denied by a combination of determined defending and some unfortunate handling mishaps. There was a feeling of inevitability when, after several penalties, lineouts, rucks and scrums that Curtis Stewart drove over from short distance to get the scoreboard moving. This time Widdowson’s conversion attempt was successful, putting Bangor ahead by 7-0.

Having been on top for most of the first quarter, the relief of finally coming away with some points seemed to lift any lingering tension in the Bangor side, as they now started to throw the ball about with a new confidence, even in the cold and wet conditions. Having broken their duck, it took just 3 more minutes to double their score, again by Stewart. However, the build-up was completely different – bold passing across the backs, combined with direct running, was finished off with Stewart side-stepping two defenders to dive over for a well-taken try. Widdowson added the conversion and Bangor were now 14-0 ahead.
Having set up the last try, Bangor’s backs went one better – again after 3 minutes – when the ball was quickly passed from left to right through Jason Morgan, Rob Gamble and Adam McCusker before getting to Davy Charles who slipped through the last-ditch Clogher tackle to run in from the twenty two and score under the posts. Remarkably, the conversion was missed, but the lead had stretched to 19-0, and Bangor were now looking in control.

Now with an eye on the try-scoring bonus point, Bangor kept on the attack and their perseverance was finally rewarded with the last play of the first half. Another wide move across the backs, missing players in the process, resulted in a two-on-one situation with McCusker in possession and Gamble in support just outside him. With just one Clogher player ahead of them, McCusker drew the defender before a perfectly timed pass to Gamble set him clear to score the bonus point try in the right hand corner. The difficult conversion attempt was missed, but as the sides turned around at half time, Bangor were comfortably ahead by 24-0.
As Clogher started the second half, it was obvious their half-time team talk had hit home as they started with renewed purpose and enjoyed their best spell of possession and attack. However, a poor positional kick was easily fielded by Bangor, allowing them to counter-attack through Widdowson on the left hand wing. Although with Gamble in close support, Widdowson dummied his immediate defender and carried on towards the Clogher line. The Clogher defence had managed to get across and block Widdowson’s progress just a few metres from the goal line, but he managed to pop the ball up as he went down and Jamie Clegg, arriving from nowhere, caught it and crashed over in the corner for a well-deserved try. Another difficult touchline conversion was missed, making the score now 29-0 after just 5 minutes of the second half.

Bangor underlined their dominance in the pack when, after 14 minutes, David Bradford took over the Number 8 duties after Stewart suffered a nasty shoulder injury. Repeated surges on the Clogher line resulted in a 5 metre scrum, which was well controlled and finally touched down by Bradford under the posts. Widdowson’s miserable day with the boot continued with another missed conversion – hopefully the new boots will be properly broken in soon.

With the score now 34-0, and the end result not really in doubt, the game entered a scrappy period where Bangor dropped the tempo and Clogher looked for some kind of consolation to round off a miserable afternoon. In the end, it was Clogher who had the final word when, after 30 minutes, their pack produced the concerted effort needed to push the Bangor ruck back and score to the left of Bangor’s posts. As the conversion was successfully kicked, bringing the score to 34-7, the referee blew for the end of the game.

To beat Clogher Valley is an achievement for any side, but for Bangor to also come away with a bonus point is something special. There is no doubt that this was an uncharacteristically weakened Clogher side with several regular players unavailable and some first-timers thrown into what turned out to be a baptism of fire. However, many at Bangor will recall their visit to Fivemiletown for a mid-week game towards the end of last season. On that occasion the tables were completely reversed and, while this Boxing Day game may be one for Clogher to forget, it is an uncomfortable fact of life in QL1 that there will continue to be difficult games like this. Having said that, this should in no way detract from the quality of rugby produced by Bangor in difficult conditions. Certainly last week’s exit from the All Ireland Junior Cup appears to have been forgotten already.

Next weekend sees all three senior teams in cup action. The 1sts are at home against Lisburn in the opening round of the Towns Cup, the 2nds have a difficult trip to Ballynahinch 3rds in the second round of the Crawford Cup and the 3rds are at home to PSNI 2nds in the second round of the McCambley Cup.

Bangor team: O McIlmurry, A Jackson, P Whyte, D Kelly, M Ferguson, D Bradford, J Clegg (c), C Stewart, J Guthrie, J Morgan, M Widdowson, M Weir, R Gamble, D Charles, A McCusker

Subs: C Burton, D Kennedy

Bangor scorers: C Stewart (2T), R Gamble (1T), D Charles (1T), J Clegg (1T), D Bradford (1T), M Widdowson (2C)