BY FERGUS WILSON

It was horrible, wet and windy conditions for Civil Service's game down at Gibson Park on Saturday 29th October.

The game got underway with Service starting the more brighter of the two teams, keeping possession and gaining territory into the Malone 22. Their pressure continued on Malone as Service earned the first penalty of the game and kicked to the corner 5metres out. But Malone do well to steal and clear their lines to relieve the pressure. Malone answer back with good play of their own. Breaking through the Service defence from their own half into the opponents 22. Before some good hands out wide releases the Malone fullback (15) into space and runs round under the posts for the first try of the game. Conversion was good and it was 7-0 to the home side.
Straight from the restart Malone earn a penalty to immediately peg back Service in their own half, but Service do well to disrupt the line-out and earn a scrum. Service keep possession well and break through the Malone tackles through their centre (12) but his offload is dropped through the tough conditions to miss a golden opportunity for a try. Malone then show nice play to get back into the Civil half and earn a penalty which they kick to the corner. A good powerful driving maul by Malone took them just 5 metres out from the line. Civil's defence held first, but Malone thought they had scored but the ref spotted a double movement in an attempt to score and Service earned the penalty. Civil then answer back and play a nice move off the back of their line-out and good hands out wide sends the winger into the Malone 22 before a knock on at the ruck stops the play. Shortly after at the scrum the Civil Service second row is shown a yellow card for taking the scrum-half out without the ball. The yellow card proved to be costly for Service as Malone pinned Service back into their own 22 was a dominant maul again before picking and going 5 metres out. And the fly-half spotted a gap and dove over under the posts from close range to Malone's second try just before HT. 14-0.

HALF-TIME: MALONE 4's 14-0 CIVIL SERVICE 2's

Civil Service started the 2nd half much better as earn a scrum straight from kick-off. Civil then kick through and push Malone back into their own 22 with some good pressure in defence, but Malone earn the penalty for Civil going off their feet at the ruck. Malone run it back the other way trying the spread the play wide and catch Service out, but Service do well to recover and put in some strong tackles and earn a penalty. Then Malone also received a yellow card (15) for stopping a Service quick tap and go. Malone manage to steal the Civil line-out from the penalty and push into the Civil 22 once again. Put Civil do really well to hold them up over the line and clear their lines. Civil then produce a brilliant 50-22 to pin Malone back. Service then earn a penalty in the Malone 22 and tap and go quickly to send the back row (8) diving into the corner for the visitors first try of the game. The conversion was missed and it was 14-5. Civil start to manage the game a bit better playing to the weather conditions and play a bit of kick tennis which leads to a Civil penalty for a high tackle just inside the Service half. Malone do well though to steal the ball at the ruck and keep possession well. Eventually good hands from Malone out wide creates a 2 on 1 and the Malone winger (18) darts in the corner for a well worked try. Conversion is missed again. 19-5. The game got a bit sloppy from both sides with the weather condition effecting play and forcing knock-ons and scrappy play. But it was the home side Malone who managed to kill the game off with some good hands out wide again to send the centre (12) in the far corner for Malone's 4th try of the game. Missed conversion again and it finished 24-5 to Malone.

FULL-TIME: MALONE 4's 24-5 CIVIL SERVICE 2's