Sat 18 Jan 2025, 15:00
Douglas Casuals survived a Ramsey second half fightback to win 29-22 at the Mooragh Park in a belting friendly fixture. Douglas led 29-0 at half time and just clung on at the end after a Ramsey resurgence.
Douglas hooker Aaron Mason crashed over from close range in the third minute to get things underway. Ramsey pressed forward at the other end to try and reply and just after the ten minute mark, things went further adrift for them. The attack faltered and the ball was turned over. Craig Martin turned on the turbo to bring the ball to halfway and he sent right wing Adam Boyd clear for the first of his two tries and a 10-0 lead.
Miday through the first half it was Douglas again. Ramsey snaffled the ball from a Douglas attack and thumped the ball downfield. Touch was missed and the ball was fielded by Douglas dangerman Craig Martin. He angled his run down the lakeside touchline and beat the Ramsey defence on sheer pace to score. From the restart Douglas again unlocked the defence. Ollie Howard dropped a Crossfield kick to Adam Boyd wide on the right. Boyd made big yardage and drew a penalty from the defence. This was tapped quickly and Liam Kirkpatrick thumped across the line. Howard added the conversion to make it 22-0.
22 soon turned to 29. Once again, Craig Martin was the catalyst. He broke clear down the right wing, drew the Ramsey defence and chipped ahead just before the tackle. Adam Boyd was alongside and he won the footrace to the ball to bag his second try of the game. Ollie Howard added the conversion and Douglas looked unstoppable with a 29-0 lead which they held till half time.
Ramsey used the interval wisely and rolled out their big guns. Veteran prop Michéal Flynn is not known as “the gamechanger” for no good reason, and he joined the party for the second half and to celebrate his fiftieth birthday. He immediately provided stability to the Ramsey scrummage and this gave clean ball to his backline.
The first twenty minutes of the second half though remained scoreless but as the hour mark passed Ramsey suddenly found some continuity and earned themselves a penalty in the Douglas red zone. This was tapped quickly and Jake Richmond went over for his side’s first score of the game. With just under ten to play Ramsey stand off Conor Goodall picked up from the base of a ruck and with no left guard he sniped through the gap to score and make the scoreboard look much more respectable at 29-10.
Two minutes later Ramsey captain Josh Corteen broke through the defence. He was stopped shy of the line but Jake Richmond was in close support and he dived in for his second to make it 29-15 and revive the Ramsey hopes. Two from the end Corteen went over from a quickly tapped penalty and Scott Kneale converted to make it 29-22 and Ramsey were suddenly within touching distance. Hopes were dashed however as the comeback was beaten by the clock.
Douglas hooker Aaron Mason crashed over from close range in the third minute to get things underway. Ramsey pressed forward at the other end to try and reply and just after the ten minute mark, things went further adrift for them. The attack faltered and the ball was turned over. Craig Martin turned on the turbo to bring the ball to halfway and he sent right wing Adam Boyd clear for the first of his two tries and a 10-0 lead.
Miday through the first half it was Douglas again. Ramsey snaffled the ball from a Douglas attack and thumped the ball downfield. Touch was missed and the ball was fielded by Douglas dangerman Craig Martin. He angled his run down the lakeside touchline and beat the Ramsey defence on sheer pace to score. From the restart Douglas again unlocked the defence. Ollie Howard dropped a Crossfield kick to Adam Boyd wide on the right. Boyd made big yardage and drew a penalty from the defence. This was tapped quickly and Liam Kirkpatrick thumped across the line. Howard added the conversion to make it 22-0.
22 soon turned to 29. Once again, Craig Martin was the catalyst. He broke clear down the right wing, drew the Ramsey defence and chipped ahead just before the tackle. Adam Boyd was alongside and he won the footrace to the ball to bag his second try of the game. Ollie Howard added the conversion and Douglas looked unstoppable with a 29-0 lead which they held till half time.
Ramsey used the interval wisely and rolled out their big guns. Veteran prop Michéal Flynn is not known as “the gamechanger” for no good reason, and he joined the party for the second half and to celebrate his fiftieth birthday. He immediately provided stability to the Ramsey scrummage and this gave clean ball to his backline.
The first twenty minutes of the second half though remained scoreless but as the hour mark passed Ramsey suddenly found some continuity and earned themselves a penalty in the Douglas red zone. This was tapped quickly and Jake Richmond went over for his side’s first score of the game. With just under ten to play Ramsey stand off Conor Goodall picked up from the base of a ruck and with no left guard he sniped through the gap to score and make the scoreboard look much more respectable at 29-10.
Two minutes later Ramsey captain Josh Corteen broke through the defence. He was stopped shy of the line but Jake Richmond was in close support and he dived in for his second to make it 29-15 and revive the Ramsey hopes. Two from the end Corteen went over from a quickly tapped penalty and Scott Kneale converted to make it 29-22 and Ramsey were suddenly within touching distance. Hopes were dashed however as the comeback was beaten by the clock.
