Sat 15 Apr 2023, 14:15
Douglas beat Vagabonds 58-10 at Ballafletcher to claim their place in next week’s Manx Cup Final and Ramsey beat Southern Nomads 55-7 at Ballakilley to join them.
It was a fairly comfortable win for Douglas with wing Sam McCord running in five tries and topping the Douglas scoring chart. Harry Hewson weighed in with one as did Craig McGee, Jake Black, Oli Corlett and Kyle Martin with Jack Shimmin adding four conversions.
It was a similar story at Ballakilley where Ramsey ran in nine tries to claim the win and their [place in the final. The Northerners wasted no time and were in for their first in just the second minute. Brandon Atchison set up field position with a run down the left wing and when the ball came back second row Josh Corteen was on hand to tunnel his way over the line through a pile of bodies.
As the quarter hour mark approached Nomads put themselves into trouble by trying to run the ball out of their own twenty two. The Ramsey defence was up very quickly and the ball was fumbled under pressure. Brandon Atchison recovered it for Ramsey and his short run drew in the Nomad defence before he popped to skipper Matt Meechan who dived in for the try. Atchison converted to make the lead 12-0.
Nomads then tried to hit back. Tom Collister and Harry Brereton both carried well and captain George Callister buzzed around with incredible energy. The Ramsey defence however held firm and just before the half hour they turned defence into attack. Josh Corteen stole the ball at a Nomads ruck and this was quickly moved wide to the left wing where scrum half Nathan Robson raced clear from around fifty metres out.
As the first half headed towards its conclusion Ramsey snatched another. Corteen snaffled a Nomads line out and the ball headed to the back line again. With Nomads drifting wide, it was then fed back inside for Ramsey youngster Ben Gelling who galloped in under the posts for his first senior try. Atchison converted to leave Ramsey 24-0 in front at the interval.
Any remaining doubts about the result were swiftly swept away in the first nine minutes of the second half when Ramsey ran in three tries to push the score beyond Nomads. Brothers Dan and Jake Richmond combined for the first with Dan’s flat pass allowing Jake to power through the Nomads back line. Five minutes late Jake turned provider when his basketball pass found Atchison in space and he lit up his burners to outpace the defence. In the ninth minute it was Jake Richmond again creating. He switched from open to blind and found right wing Connor Casey with a long pass and he raced in down the touchline to score and make the Ramsey lead 43-0.
Ramsey replacement Eddie Lord dived in from close range with just under twenty to go and Atchison’s conversion brought up the half century. Despite the scoreline George Callister continued to urge Nomads on and they were finally rewarded for their graft with just over ten minutes to go. They earned a five metre scrum and a swift left wheel opened up a gap for Callister to pick and go from the base to score. Mark Young converted.
There was still sufficient time for one more Ramsey try though and it was the pick of the bunch. The ball was moved from left to right and back again with forwards and backs all playing their part before leaving another Ramsey youngster Joey Callow to apply the coup de grace.
Vagabonds and Nomads will play off for the Manx Plate next Saturday as a curtain raiser for the Cup Final.
It was a fairly comfortable win for Douglas with wing Sam McCord running in five tries and topping the Douglas scoring chart. Harry Hewson weighed in with one as did Craig McGee, Jake Black, Oli Corlett and Kyle Martin with Jack Shimmin adding four conversions.
It was a similar story at Ballakilley where Ramsey ran in nine tries to claim the win and their [place in the final. The Northerners wasted no time and were in for their first in just the second minute. Brandon Atchison set up field position with a run down the left wing and when the ball came back second row Josh Corteen was on hand to tunnel his way over the line through a pile of bodies.
As the quarter hour mark approached Nomads put themselves into trouble by trying to run the ball out of their own twenty two. The Ramsey defence was up very quickly and the ball was fumbled under pressure. Brandon Atchison recovered it for Ramsey and his short run drew in the Nomad defence before he popped to skipper Matt Meechan who dived in for the try. Atchison converted to make the lead 12-0.
Nomads then tried to hit back. Tom Collister and Harry Brereton both carried well and captain George Callister buzzed around with incredible energy. The Ramsey defence however held firm and just before the half hour they turned defence into attack. Josh Corteen stole the ball at a Nomads ruck and this was quickly moved wide to the left wing where scrum half Nathan Robson raced clear from around fifty metres out.
As the first half headed towards its conclusion Ramsey snatched another. Corteen snaffled a Nomads line out and the ball headed to the back line again. With Nomads drifting wide, it was then fed back inside for Ramsey youngster Ben Gelling who galloped in under the posts for his first senior try. Atchison converted to leave Ramsey 24-0 in front at the interval.
Any remaining doubts about the result were swiftly swept away in the first nine minutes of the second half when Ramsey ran in three tries to push the score beyond Nomads. Brothers Dan and Jake Richmond combined for the first with Dan’s flat pass allowing Jake to power through the Nomads back line. Five minutes late Jake turned provider when his basketball pass found Atchison in space and he lit up his burners to outpace the defence. In the ninth minute it was Jake Richmond again creating. He switched from open to blind and found right wing Connor Casey with a long pass and he raced in down the touchline to score and make the Ramsey lead 43-0.
Ramsey replacement Eddie Lord dived in from close range with just under twenty to go and Atchison’s conversion brought up the half century. Despite the scoreline George Callister continued to urge Nomads on and they were finally rewarded for their graft with just over ten minutes to go. They earned a five metre scrum and a swift left wheel opened up a gap for Callister to pick and go from the base to score. Mark Young converted.
There was still sufficient time for one more Ramsey try though and it was the pick of the bunch. The ball was moved from left to right and back again with forwards and backs all playing their part before leaving another Ramsey youngster Joey Callow to apply the coup de grace.
Vagabonds and Nomads will play off for the Manx Plate next Saturday as a curtain raiser for the Cup Final.
