Schools Bowl: Ballyclare High 24 Lurgan College 0

The final round of the Ulster Schools Group Stages compete on Saturday morning with Ballyclare High School getting the result they needed to progress to the 3rd Round Draw after Omagh Academy did them a favour by recording a 7 – 0 win against Cambridge House earlier in the week. 

The result leaves Group C as follows. 

The qualifying group structure introduced this season has largely been a success and in this group in particular it has produced a series of competitive games, both teams going into this match with something meaningful to play for.

It was a tense first half with a try and conversion from Ballyclare High’s Mark Jackson the only difference between the sides.

The Lurgan side had their chances in the first half but a few misfiring lineouts meant they weren’t able to build on their good approach work.

Jackson crossed for his second score at the start of the start of the second half, the talented full back stepping his way out of defence to start the move and he was on hand on the wing to finish it off after a couple of quick recycles.

With some of the pressure off after the second score the home side upped their game for the remainder of the second half as their pack began to get on top.

Harry McBride crashed over from short range after a period of pressure in the Lurgan 22 to take the score to 17 – 0 as the High School went in search of that all important bonus point score.

Lurgan didn’t make it easy for the High School and it took a piece of individual brilliance from out half Alex Darrah to get the result they needed, the youngster running from just outside his 22 to finish up left of the posts for that all important score which he converted himself.

The College side kept battling throughout the game, but they were unable to break through the Ballyclare defence, the game ending with a 24 – 0 win for the home side.

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