Sat 28 Feb 2026, 14:15
Vagabonds took the spoils in the big game at Ballafletcher beating Ramsey 21-10. The game was tightly contested for the first hour with Vagas playing a much smarter game in the final twenty minutes for a deserved win.
As expected in a local derby game there was an explosive start. Vagas’ skipper Dan Bonwick marked his return from injury with a big run but in the process, Vagas lost fullback Theo Head to injury with just two minutes on the clock.
After Ramsey had weathered the early storm, they started to string some passes together and this was to prove their early undoing. Vagas stand off Jack Cutts read the move perfectly and he raced out of the defensive line and intercepted. With Ramsey committed to attack, there was nobody at home and Cutts ran in under the posts to score. Cam Findlay converted for a 7-0 lead.
Ramsey hit back quarter of an hour later. Will Millsopp made some yards down the right wing. Ross Quayle then crashed into the Vagas defence and presented quick ruck ball. The Kneale brothers Scott and Kieran combined in midfield and engineered on overlap on the left for Brayden Roche to score.
Just before half time Ramsey snatched the lead. They were awarded a penalty inside the Vagas twenty two and gambled with a kick to the corner. Josh Corteen claimed the lineout and his forwards settled in for a drive to the line. The Vagas defence held the drive but Conor Cracknell launched from the back of the maul and with Ben Hardman adding some horsepower they broke through the cover with Cracknell getting the score and a 10-7 half time lead.
In the second half Ramsey carried on where they off. This time however, the Vagas defence was up to the job. Jake Richmond and Brayden Roche were both denied down the left flank while Will Millsopp was kept quiet on the right. Twenty minutes in, Vagas finally broke the stranglehold. Brendan Kelly made the telling break and his offload was quickly sent wide to the left where Jackson Bowers had a run for the line. He danced through the Ramsey cover to score an when Cam Findlay converted Vagas were 14-10 in front.
With a lead to protect Vagas switched to the smart game. Their set piece scrummage had been working well and in the final quarter they scrummaged at every opportunity. Cam Findlay missed a penalty shot with ten to go but aside from that any penalty was swapped for a scrum and they sucked the life from the Ramsey eight, denying possession and eating up valuable game time. In the final play of the game, a driving scrum got them close to the Ramsey line and from short range number eight Ed Knight dived in to score. Cam Findlay’s conversion was the final kick of the match.
As expected in a local derby game there was an explosive start. Vagas’ skipper Dan Bonwick marked his return from injury with a big run but in the process, Vagas lost fullback Theo Head to injury with just two minutes on the clock.
After Ramsey had weathered the early storm, they started to string some passes together and this was to prove their early undoing. Vagas stand off Jack Cutts read the move perfectly and he raced out of the defensive line and intercepted. With Ramsey committed to attack, there was nobody at home and Cutts ran in under the posts to score. Cam Findlay converted for a 7-0 lead.
Ramsey hit back quarter of an hour later. Will Millsopp made some yards down the right wing. Ross Quayle then crashed into the Vagas defence and presented quick ruck ball. The Kneale brothers Scott and Kieran combined in midfield and engineered on overlap on the left for Brayden Roche to score.
Just before half time Ramsey snatched the lead. They were awarded a penalty inside the Vagas twenty two and gambled with a kick to the corner. Josh Corteen claimed the lineout and his forwards settled in for a drive to the line. The Vagas defence held the drive but Conor Cracknell launched from the back of the maul and with Ben Hardman adding some horsepower they broke through the cover with Cracknell getting the score and a 10-7 half time lead.
In the second half Ramsey carried on where they off. This time however, the Vagas defence was up to the job. Jake Richmond and Brayden Roche were both denied down the left flank while Will Millsopp was kept quiet on the right. Twenty minutes in, Vagas finally broke the stranglehold. Brendan Kelly made the telling break and his offload was quickly sent wide to the left where Jackson Bowers had a run for the line. He danced through the Ramsey cover to score an when Cam Findlay converted Vagas were 14-10 in front.
With a lead to protect Vagas switched to the smart game. Their set piece scrummage had been working well and in the final quarter they scrummaged at every opportunity. Cam Findlay missed a penalty shot with ten to go but aside from that any penalty was swapped for a scrum and they sucked the life from the Ramsey eight, denying possession and eating up valuable game time. In the final play of the game, a driving scrum got them close to the Ramsey line and from short range number eight Ed Knight dived in to score. Cam Findlay’s conversion was the final kick of the match.
