Brown Bags The Points As Malone Win Ulster Derby
Centre Nathan Brown scored all of the points as Malone got the better of Dungannon in Friday’s bottom of the table clash in Division 1B.
Malone put in a workmanlike performance to defeat their Ulster rivals under the Stevenson Park floodlights, with their second league victory moving them up to seventh in the standings.
The result marked Dungannon's fifth successive league loss and leaves them two points behind Dublin University – their next opponents – at the foot of the table.
There were plenty of errors in the opening half given the wet conditions and what was at stake, with 'Gannon looking to gain revenge for a 20-10 opening round defeat at Gibson Park.
They struggled to do so as Nathan Brown landed two first half penalties in the sixth and 18th minutes – sandwiching a narrow miss from Dungannon's Peter Nelson – to give Malone a 6-0 advantage in Tyrone.
Both try-lines were threatened before half-time, Dungannon enduring a near miss when prop Glen Sinnamon threatened from captain James Bates' clever reverse pass.
Malone's best try-scoring opportunity of the half came when full-back Peter Henderson passed for his back-three colleague Adam Liddell, however the winger was unable to gather the ball.
The introduction of Rob Haldane at scrum half, with John Creighton moving to out-half, got the visitors' back-line going after the break.
Haldane had a key contribution as he neatly switched direction to set up Brown for the only try of the game which he converted himself in the 66th minute.
The second half might have had a different complexion had Nelson's early penalty effort not hit the woodwork and then Dungannon hooker Malcolm Allister's sin-binning handed the initiative to Malone.
Dungannon needed to dig deep in response to the try, with Steven Sinnamon joining his brother Glen and Ulster's Adam Macklin in the front row and James McMahon and Timmy Smith providing further grunt up front.
Nelson was whistled back when he was in sight of the try-line – referee Stuart Gaffikin blowing up too early for Dungannon's liking as he played a penalty advantage.
Out-half Nelson nailed the resulting place-kick but it proved to be the only points of the night for Paddy Johns' side.
The usually reliable Nelson sent a last-minute penalty wide just when it looked like Dungannon would end the match with a losing bonus point.
Referee: Stuart Gaffikin (IRFU)