Schools' Cup Quarter Final

Ballyclare made a nervous start in the first match at Ballyclare and the Portora backs had little trouble scoring an excellent try which was converted from the touchline to give them a deserved 7-0 lead. Ballyclare faced an onslaught from a rampant Portora team, but slowly they fought their way back into the match and from almost their first attack, scored one of the tries of the season when Ryan Wilson cut through the fragile Portora defence to score under the posts. James Jackson had little trouble converting. This was the last score in the first half.

In the second half it was a very different story as Ballyclare posed numerous problems for the Portora defence and Ryan Wilson intercepted on the halfway line to score in the corner. Jackson's attempted conversion fell agonisingly short of the crossbar. For most of the second half it was all Ballyclare. Sadly, they did not make the most of their many scoring opportunities in the middle of the second half. With less than two minutes left Portora scored a controversial try in the corner. A missed conversion made a replay in Enniskillen necessary to split the difference between two excellent sides.

Team photograph taken at the end of a thrilling and exhausting match against an excellent Portora Royal XV on Saturday 18 February 2006
A draw seemed a fair result considering the excellent start that Portora had made. However, the replay in Enniskillen was quite a different match. Portora scored two well taken penalties and held on in a nail-biting finish to win 6 - 0. In both matches Ballyclare carved out excellent chances and may count themselves unfortunate not to have got into the Semi-final. However, Portora are to be congratulated in taking their chances and our best wishes go with them for their semi-final match against a promising Campbell College side at Ravenhill on Monday.