UUJ Narrowly Defeat UUC to Stay Unbeaten

Last week both sides had opened up their Division 1 campaigns with victories and therefore knew that to stay unbeaten they would have to come out on top in this all Ulster Derby.

It had been a couple of years since the teams had met with the last game being a three point victory to UUC. This was UUJ's only loss in a year when they went onto win the All Ireland Division 2 title.

Both sides started the game of nervously with penalty attempts at goal missed by both outhalves. UUJ however where first to get on the score sheet when Mark O'Connor chipped a ball cross field for Richard McCarthy to gather and go over for an unconverted score.

Both sides were incessantly penalised by the referee and therefore struggled hard to play with any continuity but it was UUC who struck first. After numerous drives at the UUJ line Marty O'Neill used his strength to pick up and with help from his team managed to dot the ball down with Alan Whitcroft adding the conversion. The score was quickly added to by Whitcroft when he struck over an excellent penalty attempt. UUC 10 UUJ 5.

UUJ immediately hit back after Browne had released Elliot in the mid field. Elliot made ground before passing inside to the supporting O'Conner who sprinted over the UUC line for another unconverted try. Just as it appeared that both teams would enter half time at ten points apiece Whitcroft stepped up and again knocked over a well struck penalty kick. Half time UUC 13 UUJ 10.

 

 

With UUJ now playing down the slight slope they started to kick more for territory and tried to pressurise the UUC counter attack. This approach proved fruitless until O'Conner chipped over the UUC defence and chased hard for the touch down. In the eventuality it was left up to centre Alan Wells to get the vital touch down with Browne eventually finding his kicking boots to knock over the conversion and quickly follow up with a penalty. UUC 13 UUJ 20.

UUJ continued to pressurise and from a ruck in the middle of the park Richard McCartly hit a excellent drop goal to give UUJ a ten point cushion. UUJ must have thought that this was now the time to' kick on' and score the fourth try to gain a bonus point but UUC had other ideas. UUC now started to pass the ball wider and almost broke through the UUJ defence on a couple of occasions. This tactic seemed to be paying more dividends than the pick and go tactics which they had previously tried. After making their way up the field hooker O'Neill gathered the ball ten metres from the UUJ line. With plenty of defenders around it was to his credit that he found a gap to drive over the line for his second try which Whitcroft again converted.

In the closing exchanges both sides had chances to add to their scores but eventually time ran out leaving UUJ 23-20 victors.

UUC will possibly be kicking themselves that they did not attempt to kick a couple of the penalties that they were awarded but can be commended in the way that they fought back after going ten points down in the final quarter. For UUC Alan Whitcroft controlled the game well in the first half with Chris Cupples looking a danger whenever he received the ball as did Tim Shaw. Up front Michael Dunleavy and Jamie Wilkinson worked tirelessly as did Richard McNeely before he had to retire through injury.

UUJ will be extremely happy to gain this victory 'on the road' and it is to their immense credit that they dug out this win with so many personnel changes to the previous week due to injuries and unavailabilities. All the new players called up acquitted themselves very well showing that UUJ have a reasonably strength in depth. In the pack Adam Cupples, Stephen Morton and Mark Riddell caught the eye as did Mark O'Connor and Richard McCarthy in the backs.

The ICRU league now takes a break until the 3rd of December with UUJ and UUC traveling away to GMIT and DIT respectively.