SAINTS GO MARCHING UP!

Agressive and concerted attacking running from Seb Gomes and António Rodrigues

Impressive Sub-16 win in front of big crowd sees the perfect record maintained and promotion secured. Read Tom Rain's match report and see images from the game here.

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The Sub-16s victory over Lousã set off a pitch-side party at St. Julian’s on Sunday afternoon, having secured automatic promotion to the ‘A’ league. The side dominated the match but had to resist some spirited Lousã counter attacks.

Unlike the previous encounter between the two teams, where St. Julian’s initial early dominance yielded no return, the home side were quick to convert pressure into points.  Tom Vilar powered his way over from close quarters to draw first blood. It wasn’t all one way, as Lousã quickly neutralized the five point lead with a try of their own. However, this would prove their only points of the game.

What followed was a confident display, with the players sticking to the game plan, building phases of play before exploiting the chinks in the Lousã armour. Man of the Match António Rodrigues towered in the lineout and along with the rest of the pack, provided a solid platform for the backs to launch sustained offensives into opposition territory. The second try for the home side came from a combination of good hands, light feet and quick thinking which saw Tom Pimenta pirouette his way out from the touch line before accelerating to score under the posts. Fay added the two points, taking St. Julian’s into the half time with a seven point lead.  

The score board continued to tick over in the second half, with well worked tries from Micah Mira (x2), Evin Fay and Seb Bader.  Evin Fay slotted two more conversions, helping to ensure St. Julian’s ran out comfortable (albeit battered) winners by 36 points to 5.

Cue the final whistle and some well-deserved victory celebrations. Such a convincing win over a tough, physical opposition is always worth savouring but this match was so much more. Having gone unbeaten throughout the season and to have secured automatic promotion are a credit to all those who have represented the Sub-16s since the start of the season. To have achieved this in front of such wonderful home support was the icing on the cake - kindly provided, along with three bottles of the very finest bubbly that money can buy, by none other than Mr Pimenta.

Well done boys. 

Tries: Vilar, Pimenta, Bader, Mira x2, Fay

Conversions: Fay x 3

Man of the Match: António Rodrigues

See images by Fernando Santos on this page.

See Peter Fay's images from the game at this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/peter112/sets/72157629250334914/