It was always going to be a difficult challenge against a Ballyclare team sitting in second position in Championship 1 and into the quarter finals of the All Ireland Junior cup. However, Grosvenor proved that the difference between 2nd and 9th in this league is narrower than you might expect. A scoreline of 26-10 looks to be conclusive enough, but this flattering score belies an excellent performance from the home side. Their job was to frustrate their more illustrious opponents and this they did in spadefuls. The very least that Grosvenor deserved was a losing bonus point and some of the Ballyclare officials told us that we deserved a draw. They scored in the last minutes of the first half and in the last minute of the second half.
Ballyclare are one of the bigger packs in the division and with ex Ulster tight head prop Ricky Lutton, they have lots of experience. Their pack was the foundation for their driving tries. Their discipline broke down as they were continually pinged for various offences, a credit to the harassing of the home pack.
The season has hit half way with Grosvenor sitting in 9th position but the quality of this performance will set a standard for the rest of the season. Our next game is at home against Limavady, just simply a must win as they are in 10th position.
There were outstanding performances from Breen and Pollock, but my MOM goes to Jonny Farquar, a constant threat with ball in hand.
IG
Match pics available on the Grosvenor Facebook page
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