FOUR TRIES GAVE Letterkenny RFC a bonus point win over Strabane at Dave Gallaher Memorial Park in the Kukri Qualifying League 3 this afternoon.
Letterkenny RFC 26-0 Strabane
The home side went about their business in a first half blighted by wretched conditions.
Amid the wind and the pelting rain, visibility was poor but Letterkenny kept their eye on the ball to post three first half tries and put themselves in control. When the fourth came it topped off a good afternoon’s work for the side coached by Collie Farrell.
Conall Sheridan scored one in each half, as Sean Deery and Michael Foy also got in.
The first of those tries came after only seven minutes when Sean Deery touched down having been fed by Sheridan after good drives built up the phases with Conor Dunleavy in particular playing his part. Ryan Mortimer scored the conversion for 7-0.
Strabane – with St Johnston’s Bert Galbraith on the line – saw a healthy amount of possession thereafter, but the visitors struggled to break the gain-line. When out-half Luke Hayes tried to kick in behind, Letterkenny full-back Colm McNicholl was alive to the danger.
A second Letterkenny try came on 26 minutes when Sheridan blocked an attempted kick for touch from Hayes and touched down; the home scrum-half was certainly rewarded for his own endeavour.
Eight minutes before half-time, Foy had just enough to get over the line for a third try but the hooker certainly was correct to pat Mortimier on the back afterwards.
Little seemed on when Mortimer got the ball in a busy midfield and made his way through three tackles on his tip-toes before breaking into space and making the guts of 50 metres before offloading to Foy.
Mortimer scored his second conversion of the afternoon to make it 19-0 at the break.
The scene from Dave Gallaher Memorial Park this afternoon as Letterkenny took on Strabane in the Kukri Qualifying League 3 this afternoon
Mortimer, Letterkenny out-half, didn’t appear at the start of the second half and then the locals lost outside-centre John Anthony McFadden, who picked up a knock.
At 15 against 13 momentarily, it was about containment but the numbers were soon balanced up again at 14-a-side when Mortimer made it back on by the 51st minute and Strabane lost full-back Nathan Cummins to injury.
It had brightened up at this stage and Letterkenny put in a fine shift defensively. They sealed the bonus-point win when Sheridan scored his second try of the game on 64 minutes following good approach play from Evin Walsh and Roger McLaughlin.
Letterkenny RFC: Colm McNicholl; Stephen Devine, John Anthony McFadden, Sean Deery, Evin Walsh; Conall Sheridan, Ryan Mortimer; Kevin McLaughlin, Michael Foy, Chris Digimas; Gareth McGill, Conor Dunleavy; Ladi Yuno, Jame-Lee McLaughlin; Roger McLaughlin.
Strabane: Nathan Cummins; Adam McPharland, Graham Foster, Stuart Hamilton, Mark Young; Ally Cummins, Luke Hayes; Jimmy Hamilton, Gary Smith, Darren Preston; Kyle Law, Philip Sproule; Bob Keatley, Corey Gallagher; Gordon Baird.
Referee: Colin McCandless
