Sat 22 Mar 2025, 14:15
The game was billed as a Manx Cup/Manx Shield double header however the Shield element was largely forgotten at Ballakilley Park as Southern Nomads and Ramsey slugged it out in a good old fashioned blood and guts cup tie. Ramsey came out on top 37-10 however then scoreline doesn’t necessarily reflect the toughness of the game, where the sounds of the collisions were clearly audible from the sidelines.
Nomads got the action underway with a big run down the left wing from their go-to man Will Taisia. He earned field position but more importantly he dragged the Ramsey defence towards the touchline. This created space wide on the right and with some quick ball and slick hands Nomads sent wing Mikey Craine in for the opener and a 5-0 lead with just two minutes on the watch.
Five minutes later Ramsey got on the board through a Tom Moffatt penalty but it wasn’t until the twelfth that they crossed the whitewash. Brandon Atchison boomed a kick downfield and earned Ramsey a fifty-twenty two line out. The ball was secured but the driving maul was halted. From the ruck Ramsey elected to pick and go and after two near misses, skipper Matt Meechan finally got over from very close range. Moffatt obliged with the conversion and Ramsey were 10-5 ahead.
Ramsey’s Josh Corteen left the field for some treatment and was replaced by Owen Bevan and he was soon in the action drifting through a gap in the Nomads midfield defence and racing thirty metres to score. Ramsey then earned a penalty from the restart. Moffatt kicked for the corner and the driving lineout was selected from the armoury. Meechan claimed the throw and as the maul started to move Leo McVicar noticed that Nomads had left the blindside totally unguarded. He slipped off the back of the maul and strolled in unopposed to score and increase the lead to 20-5.
As half time approached Ramsey were turned over on halfway. Nomads shipped the ball wide again and Mikey Craine raced down the right hand touchline to bag his second of the match and leave the Ramsey lead 20-10 at the break.
Neither side really got on top of the game in the second half until fifteen minutes in when Ramsey hit a purple patch which effectively ended the game. Brandon Atchison joined the Ramsey line from full back and at full pace. He punched through the defence and offloaded to Kieran Kneale who finished off. Ten minutes later Leo McVicar grabbed his second of the match from a close range drive. From the restart Kyle Shnier claimed the catch and set up ruck ball. Josh Corteen took the quick ball and powered through the defence and down the left wing. He was brought down but offloaded inside where Matt Meechan was running a perfect support line. Meechan dotted down for his second of the game and Moffatt converted to round off proceedings.
Nomads got the action underway with a big run down the left wing from their go-to man Will Taisia. He earned field position but more importantly he dragged the Ramsey defence towards the touchline. This created space wide on the right and with some quick ball and slick hands Nomads sent wing Mikey Craine in for the opener and a 5-0 lead with just two minutes on the watch.
Five minutes later Ramsey got on the board through a Tom Moffatt penalty but it wasn’t until the twelfth that they crossed the whitewash. Brandon Atchison boomed a kick downfield and earned Ramsey a fifty-twenty two line out. The ball was secured but the driving maul was halted. From the ruck Ramsey elected to pick and go and after two near misses, skipper Matt Meechan finally got over from very close range. Moffatt obliged with the conversion and Ramsey were 10-5 ahead.
Ramsey’s Josh Corteen left the field for some treatment and was replaced by Owen Bevan and he was soon in the action drifting through a gap in the Nomads midfield defence and racing thirty metres to score. Ramsey then earned a penalty from the restart. Moffatt kicked for the corner and the driving lineout was selected from the armoury. Meechan claimed the throw and as the maul started to move Leo McVicar noticed that Nomads had left the blindside totally unguarded. He slipped off the back of the maul and strolled in unopposed to score and increase the lead to 20-5.
As half time approached Ramsey were turned over on halfway. Nomads shipped the ball wide again and Mikey Craine raced down the right hand touchline to bag his second of the match and leave the Ramsey lead 20-10 at the break.
Neither side really got on top of the game in the second half until fifteen minutes in when Ramsey hit a purple patch which effectively ended the game. Brandon Atchison joined the Ramsey line from full back and at full pace. He punched through the defence and offloaded to Kieran Kneale who finished off. Ten minutes later Leo McVicar grabbed his second of the match from a close range drive. From the restart Kyle Shnier claimed the catch and set up ruck ball. Josh Corteen took the quick ball and powered through the defence and down the left wing. He was brought down but offloaded inside where Matt Meechan was running a perfect support line. Meechan dotted down for his second of the game and Moffatt converted to round off proceedings.
