Another lovely winter's morning, another crisp and sharp Letterkenny squad, ready to meet the challenge of Ballymoney U14s Rugby Team, at the start of the second round of the Ulster Carpets North League. Letterkenny are in a commanding position, having won all seven previous league matches, and were going into the game, as favorites.

Kick off, from Ballymoney. The ball goes deep, to the right, with an unlucky bounce, for winger, Callum Orsi, whom finds himself, in all kinds of trouble. Slow-to-react, Letterkenny struggles to defend, and concedes an early try. This is converted by Ballymoney, and within the first two minutes, Letterkenny find themselves, at the wrong end of a, seven - nil scoreline.
From the restart, Letterkenny regrouped and attacked in Ballymoney's half. Ballymoney conceded a penalty. Left winger, Alex Wylde, saw an opportunity for a quick tap, and ran straight around Ballymoney's defence scoring Letterkenny's first try.
Ballymoney responded later, when the number eight picked from the back of the scrum, but was shut down by fly-half Rory O'Connell. He managed to off-load to the Ballymoney first centre and Ballymoney scored their second try.
Tiernan McFadden, Letterkenny's outside centre, had already managed a couple of line breaks, but this time, it was too much for Ballymoney, and he went all the way to the try-line and scored.

A bruising first half, had already seen the coaches forced to make injury replacements, for left winger, Alex Wylde, fly half, Rory O'Connell and loose-head prop, Dan Geoghegan, when from a strong ruck, Tiernan McFadden, received a knock to the head / neck area. With Tiernan immobile, and in severe pain, it was decided the best course of action, was to call an ambulance. Better to "err on the side of caution." ( Tiernan was taken to Letterkenny University Hospital, and checked over. Thankfully he has only a neck sprain, and will be playing again, in due course. )

Half Time - Letterkenny 10 Ballymoney 12

The second half, was a different game. After starting "on the back foot" in the first half, Letterkenny took complete control of the match, in the second. From a defending position, Eoin Parkinson, ( who had recently came on, as hooker ), overturned the ball, in a ruck. Scrumhalf, Cuan Brophy, passed to David Sparks, who passed to Peter Sparks, who dummied, then stepped inside, and dived for the line. Letterkenny finally moved into the lead, for the first time, in the match.
Replacement flyhalf, Kaymin Shortt, managed a line break, side-stepping and maneuvering, weaving and winding, through the Ballymoney defence, scoring under the posts. ( He then, converted his own try. )

Replacement lock, Jynaid Rayes, scored a try, from a ruck, fending off three Ballymoney players along the way. Kaymin converted the try. The other lock, Conor Mangan, scored a try, in a similar fashion, to Jynaid.
Kaymin scored his second try, using his speed, and agility, to move through the Ballymoney defence. Kaymin converted his try.
Ballymoney attempted a comeback, but couldn't get any more points on the board.

Full Time - Letterkenny 41 Ballymoney 12

Letterkenny Under 14s are top of the Ulster Carpet North League, and are five points ahead, of second placed Ballymena.
A slow start, but a great come back, for a strong confident Under 14s team.

Letterkenny Under 14s ( Starting ) XV:

1 Dan Geoghegan
2 Gaetano Cinquenani
3 Joseph Bond
4 Levi Lapsey
5 Conor Mangan
6 Daithi Doherty-Vago
7 Matthew Murray
8 Emmet Gillespie
9 Cuan Brophy
10 Rory O'Connell ( Captain )
11 Alex Wylde
12 David Sparks
13 Tiernan McFadden
14 Callum Orsi
15 Zak Murphy

Reserves :
( Forwards ) Eoin Parkinson, Jack Gibbons, Jynaid Rayes, Jack Doherty, Matthew Duffy, Lorcan Sweeney.
( Backs ) Ewan Douglas, Bryan McGettigan, Kaymin Shortt, Peter Sparks, Dylan Coyle, Ryan Hegarty, Gavin Friel, Ben Hopkins, Rory Gardiner.

Thanks to the coaches, the referee, the supporters, the parents, and Ballymoney RFC.