Letterkenny RFC U15 Girls 24 – Virginia RFC U15 Girls 22
On Sunday Letterkenny RFC U15 Girls played only their second home match of the season. After a hard fought draw at home against Ennsikillen at the start of the season the team suffered reversals on their away trips to Virginia, Co. Cavan, Larne and Enniskillen. Captain Sara Bundschu and her girls were keen to show something for their efforts and they really turned it on against Virginia who were lying second in the league.
Letterkenny started as brightly as ever but a defensive lapse with 10 minutes on the clock saw the visitors go a try ahead. The home forwards got back to the game plan after the restart and a concerted period of possession saw the forwards picking from the base of the ruck and driving into the retreating Virginia forwards. This drew an inevitable penalty which the quick thinking Mya Alcorn managed to touch down to equalize. Her own conversion bounced off the crossbar and agonizingly back out again.
From the restart the Letterkenny forwards continued to dominate possession and marched up the pitch where the ever willing Alcorn crossed for her second try which she duly converted. At 12-5 up the Letterkenny girls had belief! However, Virginia had their own ideas and with a few minutes to half time their excellent number 8 picked up at the base of an attacking 5m scrum and crossed the line to keep her team in the game.
At the start of the second half the now Jaffa cake powered Letterkenny squad got their mojo back but an unfortunate injury to a Virginia player caused a delay to the game. From the restart the large crowd enjoyed half an hour of excellent rugby from both sides. Virginia added two tries, one converted, and Mya Alcorn completed her hat-trick of tries but the home team were 17-22 behind with only a few minutes left. The Letterkenny girls, who have been training twice a week since August, were clearly fitter and this was the decisive factor as the forwards marched up the pitch again. Great offloading from tackles and picking and driving from rucks by Tara Duffy, Meabh Clenaghan and all the forwards allowed scrum-half Sarah McBrearty to touch down under the posts for the equalizing score. Mya Alcorn converted to give the girls an outstanding victory. Everybody was delighted with the performances of girls, including outstanding defensive work from Shannen Wilkin.
Another home match this Sunday at 1pm versus Donaghadee will give the girls a great opportunity to build on this performance. The team on Sunday was: Tara Duffy, Meabh Clenaghan, Amy McClintock, Sarah McMahon, Megan McGarvey, Kelley Higgins, Sarah McBrearty, Sara Bundschu (captain), Leah Gallagher, Mya Alcorn, Shannen Wilkin, Tori Stewart, Keeley Lafferty, Ciara O’Sullivan, Emma Logue.
Training continues on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7pm at Dave Gallagher Memorial Park and we love to see new faces so please come along and #haveago.