Enniskillen 64-0 Grosvenor

Enniskillen continued their flawless campaign in the Ulster Championship League 1 with a dominant 64-0 victory over Grosvenor at home last Saturday.

The match provided a much-needed opportunity for Skins to sharpen up, having missed a game the previous week, ahead of two challenging fixtures.

Conditions were generally favourable, with a dry ball, though a swirling wind occasionally made passing difficult.

Playing against the wind in the first-half, Enniskillen saw Grosvenor initially gain an advantage with a 50-22 kick from their out-half, earning good field position.

However, they were unable to capitalise on the opportunity as they lost control of the ensuing lineout.

Ben McLaren’s excellent work set up Michael Rooney for a strong break down the left. After some clever play moving the ball across the field, Oisín Timoney opened the scoring with a try after just five minutes.

Although Grosvenor had the wind in their favour, the first scrum of the day showed the challenges they would face, with the returning Mattie Graham winning an early penalty for Skins.

Grosvenor attempted to respond with a long kick, but Tim Harte’s excellent fielding paved the way for James Ferguson to make one of his signature breaks. Only a forward pass prevented Sam Balfour from scoring.

Enniskillen kept the pressure on, with another scrum penalty giving them the upper hand. On 18 minutes, Rooney and Graham combined in a powerful drive, with Rooney crossing for a try that Eddy Keys converted.

Despite a knock-on from the restart, Enniskillen’s front row of Timoney, Graham, and Stephen Fox ensured a steady supply of possession.

Grosvenor managed to briefly disrupt Skins’ progress with a penalty against McLaren, but the home side’s relentless pressure began to tell.

On 30 minutes, a strong drive by Matty Dane saw Rooney link up with Neil Routledge, who scored a converted try.

Grosvenor showed resilience, earning several penalties through solid back-row play, and managed to keep possession well in contact.

However, they never seriously threatened the Enniskillen line. Just before half-time, Keys produced a moment of brilliance to set up Rooney for another try, with Keys converting to leave the score at 26-0 at the break.

At half-time, Andy Dane replaced Graham, and Enniskillen immediately threatened the Grosvenor line.

The visitors were briefly spared by the capricious wind, which allowed them to clear, but Skins quickly regained control. On 47 minutes, Keys sent Sam Balfour through a gap for his first try of the match.

Chris Balfour came on for Rooney, and the momentum continued. On 52 minutes, Ferguson set up Angus Keys for a converted try. Grosvenor, to their credit, never gave up, counterattacking well at times, but they struggled to break through.

Matty Dane’s kick to the visitors’ 22 led to another lineout, where Henry Keys dummied his way through to score on 57 minutes.

A well-executed lineout later provided the platform for Keys to send Sam Balfour over for his second try on 62 minutes.

Stephen Fox came close to scoring, but on 65 minutes, another penalty move saw Angus Keys cross for his second try.

Grosvenor’s heads never dropped, and they won another turnover penalty, mounting one of their strongest attacks of the game.

However, a knock-on ended their momentum. Enniskillen seized the opportunity, with Chris Balfour’s break setting up the elusive Sam Balfour to complete his hat-trick with a converted try.

There were several excellent individual performances for Enniskillen, with Sam Balfour earning particular praise for his superb display against spirited opposition.

With two tough games ahead, Enniskillen will face greater challenges, but there is every reason to believe this team has the quality to prevail.