ENNISKILLEN II ............................................... 26
PORTADOWN III .............................................. 22
Enniskillen stretched their lead at the top of the table to three points with this hard-fought win over a Portadown side fighting for points near the foot of the table.
Portadown had brought a big physical side to Enniskillen and proved difficult to break down, and kept battling away to the end. It was Enniskillen who enjoyed the better of the first half scoring three tries in the process. The first came early on and began with a good clean lineout take. The forwards were unable to make much yardage but the ball was then crashed through the centre, which in turn created an overlap that Ally Duncan accepted gratefully to score in the corner.
Within five minutes, however, Portadown had taken a lead with a sloppy try from the Enniskillen perspective with some poor defending. The conversion was the difference between the sides, but shortly after Portadown had added a penalty to lead 10–5.
Enniskillen dominated until half-time with two more tries. First, Colin McGlone made an excellent break out of a tackle on the visitors' ten-metre line and carried the ball to about five yards out before he was stopped. He did manage to play the ball out of the tackle to the supporting Gordy White, who darted over for the try. This time, Neil Carleton added the extra points to put 'Skins ahead.
CRASH
Mark Chambers added the third try before half-time. Again, a crash ball in the centre caused the damage with Chambers entering the line from fullback. While Portadown appealed in vain for a forward pass, Chambers carried on and put the ball down between the posts, making Carleton's conversion so much easier, leaving the half-time score 19–10.
Enniskillen started the second half brightly but had soon conceded a try. A long, loopy pass was intercepted and taken the distance for a converted try, cutting the lead to just two points.
Carleton was using the boot to keep Portadown pinned back in their own half for long periods, and this paid off when the visiting hooker overthrew a lineout deep in his own half, where Brian Annan collected the ball to score. Carleton's conversion increased the lead to 26–17, and importantly a two-score advantage with barely ten minutes to go.
Portadown did not give up and it was they who scored the game's last points. The outhalf sent a long American football type pass, reminiscent of Dan Marino at his finest; to his left-winger, who sprinted clear to score in the corner despite a last ditch tackle.
The conversion was missed leaving the final score at 26–22 in 'Skins favour.
The last five minutes of the game were marred with some acts of violence with fights breaking out all over the pitch, but luckily none proved too serious, and Enniskillen were able to see out the last few minutes to keep their title challenge on track.
With a crucial encounter against second placed Ballymena to come next, this was just the sort of game that Enniskillen needed. They showed their character to come through the test and as much was gained from this narrow victory than some of their more one-sided contests lately.
