Saturday 17th
Gorey U18 Boys made the trip to Navan on Saturday for a top-of-the-table Leinster Premier League clash, and from the opening whistle it was clear this would be a tight, physical contest with nothing given by either side.
Navan struck first inside three minutes with a well-taken penalty to edge 3–0 ahead. The opening exchanges were ferocious, with the bulk of the game played either side of halfway as both defences stood tall and neither team could establish any real dominance.
Gorey responded superbly five minutes later when Rory Cooper split the posts with a penalty to level matters at 3–3. Despite missing a number of key backs, Gorey’s re-shaped back line defended with huge heart and discipline, refusing to give Navan easy yards and shutting down space at every opportunity. Navan nudged back in front with another penalty to lead 6–3, and the sides continued to trade territory in a gripping arm-wrestle.
After the break, Navan piled pressure on inside the Gorey 22, and a difficult spell saw Gorey reduced to 13 men following two yellow cards. With the numerical advantage, Navan eventually forced their way over for a converted try to stretch the lead to 13–3.
To their credit, Gorey came roaring back with real intent. They hammered the middle of the park, forced Navan into infringement, and Cooper calmly converted the penalty to make it 13–6. Moments later, another penalty saw Gorey close to within a score at 13–9 with 20 minutes remaining.
Both teams emptied the tank from there. Navan took their chance to add a crucial penalty and keep Gorey at arm’s length, moving the scoreboard to 16–9. But Gorey weren’t finished. A brilliantly worked move saw Cooper finish in the corner for a superb try, cutting the gap to 19–14 and setting up a nervy finish.
Gorey threw everything at Navan in the closing minutes, but the home side held firm and the match ended Navan 19 – Gorey 14.
There were huge performances across the park. In a back line that had to shuffle and cover injuries, Robin Sunderland and Ben Hughes stood out with crucial tackles and brave carries, doing massive work out of position. Up front, the pack dominated at scrum time, turning over ball twice and putting Navan under serious pressure, with big shifts from Euan McQuinllian, Harry Griffiths, and Ben Donovan.
Man of the Match went to flanker Jack Doran, who was outstanding throughout — dominant at lineout time, strong in the air, and relentless around the pitch with big hits and huge work rate when it mattered most. A super performance from Jack.
A narrow loss, but a massive statement from this Gorey side in one of the toughest fixtures of the season.
#GoreyRFC #U18Rugby #LeinsterPremierLeague #MatchReport #OneClub #GreenWhiteBlue #RugbyFamily #YouthRugby #UpTheGorey #TeamPerformance
Gorey U18 Boys made the trip to Navan on Saturday for a top-of-the-table Leinster Premier League clash, and from the opening whistle it was clear this would be a tight, physical contest with nothing given by either side.
Navan struck first inside three minutes with a well-taken penalty to edge 3–0 ahead. The opening exchanges were ferocious, with the bulk of the game played either side of halfway as both defences stood tall and neither team could establish any real dominance.
Gorey responded superbly five minutes later when Rory Cooper split the posts with a penalty to level matters at 3–3. Despite missing a number of key backs, Gorey’s re-shaped back line defended with huge heart and discipline, refusing to give Navan easy yards and shutting down space at every opportunity. Navan nudged back in front with another penalty to lead 6–3, and the sides continued to trade territory in a gripping arm-wrestle.
After the break, Navan piled pressure on inside the Gorey 22, and a difficult spell saw Gorey reduced to 13 men following two yellow cards. With the numerical advantage, Navan eventually forced their way over for a converted try to stretch the lead to 13–3.
To their credit, Gorey came roaring back with real intent. They hammered the middle of the park, forced Navan into infringement, and Cooper calmly converted the penalty to make it 13–6. Moments later, another penalty saw Gorey close to within a score at 13–9 with 20 minutes remaining.
Both teams emptied the tank from there. Navan took their chance to add a crucial penalty and keep Gorey at arm’s length, moving the scoreboard to 16–9. But Gorey weren’t finished. A brilliantly worked move saw Cooper finish in the corner for a superb try, cutting the gap to 19–14 and setting up a nervy finish.
Gorey threw everything at Navan in the closing minutes, but the home side held firm and the match ended Navan 19 – Gorey 14.
There were huge performances across the park. In a back line that had to shuffle and cover injuries, Robin Sunderland and Ben Hughes stood out with crucial tackles and brave carries, doing massive work out of position. Up front, the pack dominated at scrum time, turning over ball twice and putting Navan under serious pressure, with big shifts from Euan McQuinllian, Harry Griffiths, and Ben Donovan.
Man of the Match went to flanker Jack Doran, who was outstanding throughout — dominant at lineout time, strong in the air, and relentless around the pitch with big hits and huge work rate when it mattered most. A super performance from Jack.
A narrow loss, but a massive statement from this Gorey side in one of the toughest fixtures of the season.
#GoreyRFC #U18Rugby #LeinsterPremierLeague #MatchReport #OneClub #GreenWhiteBlue #RugbyFamily #YouthRugby #UpTheGorey #TeamPerformance
