For the second week in a row Underbank Rangers and St Joseph’s met in the semi-final of a cup competition – Joe’s prevailing this time by 36-6.
Due to fixture congestion, the Holliday Cup game had to be played at Little Wembley, rather than at fortress Underbank.
After last week’s victory against their higher ranked opposition, Underbank were in good spirits and keen to make it two finals in a season, but St Joseph’s showed from the off that, after last week, where they possibly under-estimated their opponents, there would be no such mistake again.
In the first 20 minutes Underbank struggled to get out of their own half, but no matter what St Joseph’s had to offer, Underbank beat them back.
Then in the 21st minute Underbank’s Steve Berry put out a pass to Oliver Moorhouse, and he dummied a pass back, and sold the defenders and ran through unchallenged to score under the posts.
Moorhouse duly added the conversion and with the score at 6-0, the upset was on.
The St Joseph’s attacks kept coming and it was inevitable that eventually Underbank would crack, which they did in the 35th minute.
With the conversion added it made the score 6-6, and it stayed that way to half-time.
Underbank’s backs and forwards had combined to give a fine half of defensive play, but the second half started with a bang as St Joseph’s scored just two minutes after the restart and added the goal.
They also scored four more converted tries in the second half to coast to victory.
The Underbank players showed determination and never gave up. Their man of the match was Moorhouse.
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