Holywood 1st XV kicked off their Championship 3 campaign with a tough away fixture against Newry on Saturday. In what proved to be a closely contested encounter, the game delivered tension, physicality, and a fair share of frustration as Holywood narrowly missed out on opening the season with a win.
The visitors started brightly, with early pressure resulting in a penalty which was confidently slotted over by Jordan De’Pledge to give Holywood a 3-0 lead. However, Newry responded quickly, building phases effectively and eventually crashing over the line for the game’s first try, edging ahead 5-3.
Despite Holywood having several opportunities to regain control, particularly off the back of multiple penalties awarded in their favour, handling errors and missed chances, left the away side trailing at the break.
The second half saw Newry edge further in front with two well-taken penalties, pushing the score to 11-3. Holywood, to their credit, never backed down. Continued pressure in the Newry 22 eventually paid off, with club captain Jordan De’Pledge finishing off a strong crash ball to close the gap to just three points at 11-8.
With the clock winding down, Holywood mounted one final attack in hopes of stealing the win. Unfortunately, a costly handling error gave Newry a scrum in the dying moments, allowing them to kick the ball into touch and secure the victory.
Despite the narrow defeat, Holywood leave with a losing bonus point and plenty of positives to build on. Congratulations to Newry on a well-fought match, and sincere thanks for their hospitality.
Next Up:
We now look ahead to our first home game of the season as we welcome Virginia to Kerr Park this Saturday. Kick-off details to follow, all support welcome!
Match Highlights:
Tries:
🏉 Jordan De’Pledge (1)
Penalties:
🎯 Jordan De’Pledge (1)
Awards:
🏅 Man of the Match: Ben Hunter
💪 Man of Steel: Rory Orme
🫏 Donkey of the Day: Liam Coman
Photo credit: @newry_rugby_club 🤝