Women’s Ulster Junior Cup
Ballynahinch 5
Enniskillen 56
ENNISKILLEN Women’s rugby team continued to prove they’re a dominant force in the sport after they booked their place in the final of the Ulster Junior Cup.
In great conditions at Ballynahinch, Skins started the game strong. Alex Kernaghan made ground before Lucy Thompson broke through, putting Sophie Meeke away for the first score, which she also converted.
Thompson scored the second soon after to give the visitors a solid platform.
Rebecca Beacom won lineout possession 10-metres from the line which Skins mauled. When that was stopped the ball was flashed left by Farrah Cartin-McCloskey, whose distribution was excellent all day.
She found Scarlett Keys who passed to Thompson looping around her in a well worked move. Meeke added the conversion.
Captain Beacom caught the restart and ran it back into the Hinch half. Skins were awarded a scrum, with the ball eventually falling to Sarah Adams who scored after a good team attack.
Following the kick-off Hill, Adams, Sarah Hamilton and Balfour made ground with successive carries.
From a ruck to the right of the posts, half-backs Meeke and Cartin-McCloskey again combined well to get the backline moving, with Keys scoring.
Cartin-McCloskey was a dominant player for Skins and she scored following a nice dummy pass.
Hamill and Kernaghan were in the action again soon after, culminating in a Skins’ lineout from which Hill got over the line, only to be held up for a Hinch goal-line drop-out.
Hill again carried strongly, leading to Hinch being penalised in front of their posts. Meeke took it quickly to Balfour, who set up a ruck on the line.
Beacom ran a hardline to hold the Hinch defence, while Thompson and Keys moved it to right-wing Kelly Quinn, who scored in the corner.
Thompson then scored a second try for Skins, before Ballynahinch hit back with one of their own.
Skins controlled the remainder of the game then with Scarlett Keys and Quinn touching down, with Meeke kicking over.
Late on, Teague drove hard and set up a ruck on the Hinch 10-metre line. The ball came right and Hill gave a nicely timed pass to Keys, who skirted outside the defence for her hat-trick.
On Sunday, Enniskillen return to league action with a crucial away game against Malone. The Belfast side are top of the table, but they have played two more games than Skins.
