Larne Grammar travelled to Campsie Playing Fields, Omagh, on Saturday morning to take on Omagh Academy in the second round of the Medallion Shield.
The home side started well and kept Larne pinned in their own line during the opening exchanges. However, a spilt ball allowed Larne centre Ryan McDowell to break out on the right and once he got past the defence it was a straight race to the line which saw McDowell end up under the posts. Out half Ethan Duncan added the extras to give Larne a 0 – 7 lead after 6 minutes.
Larne got their second try 8 minutes later when hard working hooker Thomas Patton blasted through to score under the posts after a period of sustained pressure on the Omagh line. Duncan chipped over the conversion to extend Larne’s lead to 0 – 14.
Omagh looked for a response but Larne managed keep them contained in their own half until a turnover on an Omagh breakout saw Patton sprint for the corner for his second score. This one went unconverted leaving Larne with a 0 – 19 lead as the teams changed ends.
McDowell crossed for his second at the start of the second half and he was followed five minutes later by a try from the impressive Daniel Halliday as the score rattled along to 0 – 29. However, it was Omagh who enjoyed territory and possession for the remainder of the game.
The home side pounded the Larne line in the final quarter in search of a score but the Larne defence held firm, with Halliday prominent, to record a well earned win on the road.
