Banbridge Rugby Club - Northern Ireland

There was no denying the home side's right to their success, but for close on an hour Banbridge had threatened to stop the Derry bandwagon in its tracks. A passionate first half display from the visitors allowed them to take a 0-10 lead into the interval. Robin Thompson's second penalty, kicked just two minutes into the second period extended that lead.

Derry struck back ominously with two tries before Thompson knocked over a drop goal to keep his side 12-16 in front with 24 minutes left. But from that point on Derry were largely in control, adding four further tries without reply to leave a final scoreline which failed to reflect a gutsy display by the Rifle Park lads.

The confidence in the Derry squad generated by a 12-match unbeaten start to the season and an average points for tally exceeding 45 was evident early on as they spurned a simple penalty chance, with scrum-half Andrew Semple taking a tap penalty and attacking the try line. But in closing down the attack and clearing their lines Bann set the pattern for the first half.

Derry were denied the sort of quality possession on which their successful run has been built, and when they did manage to get their hands on the ball the Bann defence was in their faces, snuffing out any threatening attacks before they could gather momentum.

A tidy half break from Neville Farr created the space for right winger Jonny Pollock to take a switch pass and cross the Derry line for the opening try after 11 minutes play, with Thompson adding the conversion. Two minutes later Derry prop David Witherow was yellow-carded for a late tackle on Farr.

Derry out-half Richard Peoples was off-target with a 45 metre penalty shot before Witherow's reinstatement to the action coincided with Bann flanker Dale Carson's departure for a similar spell as the exchanges up-front hotted up.

Thompson extended his side's lead on the half-hour as he took advantage of the referee's decision to move a penalty 10 metres closer to the Derry posts, allowing the Bann out-half to strike over from 42 metres range.

Semple was next to take an enforced rest, after an injudicious kick had caught the unfortunate Farr as the Bann pivot collected the ball from the base of a scrum.

Bann's effective counter-rucking earned Thompson another shot at goal two minutes before the break but this time his kick drifted wide.

That early second half penalty looked to have set Bann up for an unlikely win. But the Derry midfield duo of David Funston and Simon Logue began to create space and Logue finished off a slick move under the posts, with Peoples' conversion reducing the deficit to 7-13 after 45 minutes.

Six minutes later Derry captain Sam McAuley, who had come on as a replacement prop at half-time, finished off another flourishing move by diving in at the left hand corner flag.

Derry now had the wind in their sails and even though Thompson slotted over that drop goal for a four point lead, by the 58th minute Derry were in front, thanks to a second try by McAuley as his pack drove him over from a 5-metre lineout.

With the intensity of Bann's first half efforts reducing visibly, the now rampant home side began to carve opportunities through their efficient rucking and impressive support play.

Winger William McCleery grabbed a fourth try after Funston had again broken through in midfield and lock David Houston registered the fifth after solid work by the Derry forwards.

Bann were now 29-16 in arrears and needing a converted try in the 10 minutes remaining to salvage even a losing bonus point for all their efforts. They worked their way into good field position, rejecting two eminently kickable penalty chances in favour of the set piece that might yield the try.

But the Derry defence was unyielding and when the danger was cleared, play moved back into the Bann half. A Bann kick was charged down and replacement Richard Baird pounced to touch down for a try which Peoples converted from out wide.

On this form Derry must be hot favourites to win Division Three on their first season back in senior rugby. With two defeats from three games it is going to be a challenge for Bann to make the top-four finish which would earn promotion. But they showed enough in that first half to suggest that the team is on the right tracks.

Much will depend on their performance in Saturday's home game against Suttonians. The North Dublin side came out on top in last season's encounter, but Bann simply cannot afford to lose this game, on their own patch, if they are to harbour any thoughts of promotion.

On the plus side Colin Bickerstaff, Michael Cromie and Ben Purvis both made welcome comebacks from injury last Saturday and they will be all the better for having that game under their belts. At this stage Bann coach Daniel Soper needs all available resources if his team is to get back on the winning track.