Coleraine overpower Larne
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Coleraine’s Jonny Henderson goes over the try line against Larne in the Towns Cup match at Sandel Lodge.
Coleraine 1st XV...66 Larne 1st XV...7
COLERAINE 1st XV comfortably saw off the challenge of visitors Larne on Saturday in the first round of the Powerade Towns Cup defeating the Section 2 side in a game which was sensibly abbreviated by the referee. A hectic schedule of tough games during December had taken its toll on the home team and a number of front-line players were missing when the selection was announced but when the half-time whistle blew, Coleraine led 38-0, having scored six tries and the outcome was not in doubt.
The opening 10 minutes was evenly contested but Coleraine then opened the scoring when the forwards mauled their way over the line and Alan Stirling was awarded the try. David Andrews converted from wide out.
Scrum half, Scott Caithness, who impressed on his 1st XV debut was then heavily involved in the build-up to the next score, winger Jonathon Henderson racing 20 metres for a touchdown in the left corner, for an unconverted try. 12-0.
At this point the Larne defence began to loose its shape and players started to fall off tackles. The home players consistently carried ball beyond the gain-line and the tries accumulated.
Henderson and David Orr combined well in the construction of an unconverted Tommy Van Wyk try and then a surging run from David Ferguson resulted in a deserved touchdown for William Hunt. Andrews converted and repeated that act two minutes later after Brian Cochrane had collected a Larne clearance on the halfway line and waltzed through a demoralised defence to score between the posts and the scoreboard now read 31-0.
An Orr break and a neat switch to Nigel Hall then saw the wing score the final try of the half with Andrews adding the extras for 38-0 at half-time.
Stuart Simpson and Jarlath Carey replaced Henderson and Mark Hunter as the game resumed and Larne immediately put a score on the board, scrum half Agnew spotting a gap in the home defence and showing good pace in running 22 metres for a try which he then converted, 38-7.
The response from Coleraine and in particular Van Wyk, was positive, with the strong running centre carving his way through the opposition on a 40 metre run to score by the posts with Andrews converting.
The Sandel Lodge boys were to add three further tries through Hall, Caithness and Cochrane, all of which Andrews was to convert, before proceedings were brought to a premature end.
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