Given the heavy defeat Bangor suffered at Omagh a few weeks ago, there was plenty to work on over the longer than usual break between fixtures. Omagh have always proved to be tough opponents, and a good run of results has helped to move them up the league table, ahead of Bangor. However, playing with home advantage and with the return of a few key players it was hoped that Bangor would respond positively and pick up some much-needed league points themselves.

In remarkably good conditions, both overhead and underfoot, Bangor got the game underway. In contrast to their last game, Bangor looked sharp from the outset, and for the first 10 minutes of the game kept play inside the Omagh half, and created several good attacking opportunities. However, they were unable to convert these early chances as the Omagh defence stubbornly held on. Having weathered this period of pressure, Omagh eventually got into their stride and began to turn the tables on Bangor. Although several surges by the Omagh forwards were successfully repelled, a couple of quick passes found their winger in space and with a clear run to score in the corner. This well taken try was followed by an even better touchline conversion which pushed Omagh into a 0-7 lead after 32 minutes of play. Having now seized the initiative, Omagh looked to add to their tally before half time, but a creditable response by Bangor kept them at bay as the sides turned around for the second half.

Whereas Bangor had taken early control of the first half, it was Omagh who were more alert at the start of the second. It took only 4 minutes from the restart for Omagh to run through a couple of weak tackles and score to the right of Bangor’s posts. Surprisingly, the conversion was missed, but Omagh had now moved into a 0-12 lead.

Bangor couldn’t afford to let their opponents run away with the game, as they had done at Omagh, and immediately fought back with a strong run by Conor Lusty that then set Patrick Dobie on a charge for the line. Although Dobie forced his way through the tackles to get over the goal line, an Omagh defender managed to get himself under the ball and prevent what looked like a certain try. Undeterred, Bangor turned this disappointment into renewed determination and within minutes had forced Omagh to concede a 5 metre penalty. Seizing this opportunity, Andy Smyth took a quick tap and charged through two Omagh defenders to score beside the posts. With Rhys Larmour adding the straightforward conversion, Omagh’s lead had now narrowed to 7-12.

Bangor tried to maintain their momentum, but were repeatedly let down by their own errors. As Bangor’s penalty count began to mount, Omagh sensibly availed of a kickable opportunity to move to 7-15, which would require Bangor to score twice to take the lead. Bangor’s play was beginning to look ragged at this point, which led to another kickable penalty for Omagh, but this effort fell short of the posts.
As Bangor tried to break out of defence and into attack, a poor penalty kick failed to make touch and allowed Omagh to run straight back at them again. Bangor looked unprepared for this and, as Omagh followed up their strong run, a clever chip over the defence allowed them to regather the ball and score an opportunist try. Again the conversion was missed, but with only 5 minutes left to play, Omagh’s 7-20 lead looked to have sealed the win.

As the clock ticked down, it looked like Bangor were to be left empty-handed once again. However, a final show of determination, started by Rhys Larmour and carried on by Andy Smyth, was rewarded when Patrick Dobie finished off the move with a great run through the Omagh defence to score close to the posts. Larmour’s conversion added the vital points that earned Bangor a losing bonus point as the referee blew for the end of the game.

In comparison to their last meeting with Omagh, this was a better performance from Bangor. However, that is not to say it was a good performance. Although the scrum set pieces were more solid and at times dominant, Bangor’s lineouts, positional and touch kicking, and general support play was poor. As the league now passes its halfway point, Bangor will need to improve in these areas if they are to significantly add to their points tally and finish in a respectable position. Hopefully this can begin when they face CIYMS in the first of two back-to-back fixtures, starting next weekend at Upritchard Park.