Match Report v Ards

MALONE U18s v ARDS

It’s the 3rd Oct 2019, storm Lorenzo’s tail is traveling through Northern Ireland.
Now it’s the 5th Oct 2019, there is another storm coming not as long lived as it could have been, a yellow warning (misplaced warning some feel) had something to do with that. The dark clouds had swooped in from Ards and loomed ominously they were all in black and BIG. The whistle blows and Mark A is chasing up the left wing, the tackle is made, it’s a success and unfortunately our gazelle returns limping and as in the previous match, illness or injury isn’t enough to dampen his efforts that included some cracking tackling and rucking. There is a dominance the STORM MALONE is gaining strength, Ards are gathering in the centre before Nathan has the ball started on its way along the backs safe hands bring them to Dillion and he is off. The race is on STORM MALONE has won it unfortunately Ards has one player with a hand that disrupts the run and the ball crosses the line but isn’t grounded(the use of other words might have said dropped)
We are now 9 minutes into the game, scrum down, the MALONE STORM take it against the head. More quick hands from Nathan but unfortunately still no points. Scrum down again, Malone put in and Sam hooks the ball straight back, Jason Dowds feeling slightly jaded, picks up from the back going round the blindside and Ards No.7 struggles to get him down, the ball is offloaded to Nathan who quickly ships it to Oran who breezes through the Ards defence to score. Timmy ‘I’ve got Sextons boots’ Cunnane converts easily.
The full force of the storm is now apparent does the Beaufort scale go high enough?
Some clever out of hand kicking is only spoilt by a short dead ball area. Dillon is given another chance and this time Dillon and the ball both make it to the ground whilst still together.
We then saw Lewis “cyclone” Brown the ball comes of the back of the ruck from as always, the safe hands of Conor H. The cyclone starts forward there is a slight disruption from one of the dark clouds, unfortunately this caused a sideways movement that just seemed to keep going sideways. The dark clouds intervened again some twinkle toes from the cyclone the ball is released (ok what’s under that scrum cap), the forwards set us up, but the dark clouds couldn’t deal with dense white fog that stopped them seeing that there was no way through.
Then there was Ryan with his superpower of knowing how a rugby ball will bounce. The darkness kicks of Ryan confident in his abilities stands waits the fall bounces and there we go his power is revealed he scoops the ball and try line looms some squalling moves and a swift of load to Callum and he starts to breeze forward. The maul the ruck and who’s old enough, ( the clones cyclone),appears in Lewis lets drop that one there, even if Sam the man steps in and controls the situation.
The question has been asked and the answer is, NO, a new level has been put on the Beaufort scale “DOWDSY” he scores a try. Nothing else to say.
Then we again see some hard work from the forwards winning ball Ross drives in and the ball is secured fast hands through the backs leads to a wee kick through from Oran that everyone positions themselves for this correctly leads to “not only can I kick everything I can also score tries” Cunnane going over for a try. His boots take all the points.
Good work in the line out gives the ball into the backs safe hands and the STORM MALONE continues. A kick and chase leaves Mark tackling and escorting their fullback into touch.
There is that lineout the players call, it the players execute it and Ryan well like a spring breeze he could have walked but he ran try scored.
Halftime.
People, we had rising from the dirt, Patrick again towering in the lineouts and bridging like a mad thing in the rucks. Eoin had the ball in his hands several times so looking for people to run through again normal metre gaining service supplied.
Simon the coach was here with oranges and words of advice for all now that’s a coach. Elliot was well giggling laughing and had more babysitters and pram pushers than he knew how to entertain them with who gets bored first. (See your much better half will never know at the end of half time you had no idea where your son was) ?

We’re off and in the time that the calm of the eye of the storm settled, the dark clouds of Ards rallied and it started they had build a wall that really looked like it could withstand the MALONE STORM and might just be able to push through and score. But I can only believe the Ref could see the danger in the MALONE STORM and issued a yellow warning unfortunately he warned the wrong team and Ryan was taken away to be a lonely figure under the posts. But it seems this was his happy place once being allowed back on the pitch he returned there taking the 5 points that go with it.
Matthew and Aaron McC where brought on and the team dynamic didn’t change good work by both assisted to the final score.
Yeah Timmy kicked ref gave a final score line to branch 42-0.
I was just about to say coaches but that would be wrong Simons man of the match is Nathan “dust devil” Murphy.
Something had him, everywhere passing, rucking, running, KICKING and tackling. BOX kicking master class given. A dust devil can be dangerous to people just asked the Ards players unlucky enough to be tackled, Nathan isn’t the biggest but some of the launching of himself that past as tackles was CLASS to watch.
Well done the U18s