Rainey U18s 26–30 Strabane U18s
U18 Division 2 League
Saturday 26th September 2026
Try Scorers: O Morris, J Wilson, M Sufferin, R Larkin
Conversions: S Loughran (3)
Rainey U18s welcomed Strabane U18s to the club on Saturday for the second round of their U18 Division 2 league campaign, with the home side ultimately suffering a narrow 30–26 defeat in an entertaining and closely fought contest.
Rainey started brightly and took the game to their visitors from the opening whistle, making the most of some early Strabane handling errors.
From open play, Rainey looked dangerous. Quick ruck ball from Daniel McIvor found Shea Loughran, who helped release Matthew Linton into space. Ollie Morris provided an excellent supporting line and was on hand to finish the move for Rainey’s opening try.
Loughran added the conversion to give Rainey a 7–0 lead.
Rainey continued to apply pressure, with their forwards earning a couple of 5-metre scrums. Following some excellent work from the pack, Jake Wilson powered over from a pick-and-go near the posts.
Once again, Loughran converted and Rainey had established a 14–0 advantage.
However, Rainey began to make life difficult for themselves through ill-discipline and handling errors, allowing Strabane back into the contest.
After several phases following a lineout, Strabane eventually found a way through the Rainey defence to reduce the deficit to 14–7.
Further mistakes from the home side allowed Strabane to strike again shortly before half-time, bringing the scores level at 14–14 at the interval.
Rainey responded positively after the break and began to play some excellent rugby. Strong carries from Seth Harkness and Jack Ryan helped put the home side on the front foot and allowed the backs to attack with greater freedom.
From a scrum inside the Strabane 22, Rainey produced a superb backline move. Fine interplay between Loughran and Linton opened up the Strabane defence and created a simple finish for Matthew Sufferin in the corner.
The conversion was unsuccessful, leaving Rainey with a 19–14 lead.
The game then swung once again. A couple of injuries and further ill-discipline proved costly for Rainey, as Strabane took advantage to score back-to-back unconverted tries in less than ten minutes.
A penalty kick followed, and suddenly Strabane had turned the game around to lead 27–19.
Rainey refused to give up and increased the tempo, putting Strabane under sustained pressure.
Ruairi Larkin, making his U18 debut for the club, produced a tremendous piece of individual determination. The young forward powered through a couple of defenders before touching down near the posts for a well-earned try.
Loughran converted to bring Rainey back to within a single point at 27–26.
With the game finely balanced, Strabane showed composure in the closing stages and managed to control possession and territory. They added a final penalty towards the end of the match to extend their advantage and ultimately secure a 30–26 victory.
It was a disappointing result for Rainey after several impressive passages of rugby, but there were plenty of positives to take from the performance. The attacking play, strong carries and determination to fight back after falling behind demonstrated the potential within this young Rainey side.
