City of Derry coach Richard McCarter delighted at emphatic display against CIYMS

The weekend 29-19 victory, Derry’s second victory over CI in just seven days, moved the 'Green and Black' into third position in the Ulster Rugby Championship One table on points difference after top four rivals, Cooke - whom Derry face in Belfast next Saturday - slipped to defeat against Portadown. With leaders Ballyclare and second placed Enniskillen also winning against Grosvenor and Dromore respectively, it means every point is crucial among the top four who look capable of pulling away from the chasing pack.

As it stands the gap between fourth placed Cooke and fifth placed Ballymoney in the table is nine points with that ‘mini-league’ between the leading quartet giving every face off between those clubs extra importance. But McCarter's men can travel with confidence after two tries from David Lapsley and one each from Killene Thornton and Jack Beattie cancelled out CI's fifth minute opener and continued Derry’s impressive recent run of form in the league.

"Yeah, it is never easy when this happens (meeting same team two weeks in succession) because they come down with a lot of motivation," explained the Derry Head Coach, "They will create their own narrative as to why they lost last week but for us it was just important to get the attitude right."We knew we were capable of winning it, started well and put them to bed. I thought the first half was excellent. We left a couple of score out there but at half-time it was more about how many we could go on and win by.

"We were maybe a bit disappointed that we didn't go on and score more tries but at this stage of the season it is, firstly, about the win and then getting the bonus point."

McCarter admitted he was taken back slightly by CI's rapid start to the game which saw them score a converted try after only five minutes and before Derry had even got their hands on the ball. However, Derry's response said everything about how they've matured as a team over recent months, fighting back to lead 22-7 by the break.

"I checked my watch and we didn't actually touch the ball for the first five or six minutes," he added, "They were deservedly in front but it was an emphatic response. To score and get it back to 10-7 and then score straight from the kick off again was a real sucker punch for them."As I say, it looked like we were maybe going to run riot and get a few more tries before half-time but 22-7 at half-time put us in a pretty comfortable position."

Even a few months ago the thought of a City of Derry team without Sam Duffy, Simon Logue and Jamie Millar would have meant sleepless night for McCarter and his assistant coach Chris Cooper but no longer as the likes of Adam Marley, Feaghus Canning, Killene Thornton and young scrum-half Eoin Coyle – making only his second appearance of the season after playing against Banbridge in the opening game – continue to enhance their growing reputations.

"That's been the pleasing thing about this season and particularly the last month or so," added McCarter, "We've been able to rotate the pack because we have had one or two unavailable for various reasons but the guys coming in have ensured they standards have not dropped off.

"And I thought Eoin (Coyle) was excellent. He was good in the first game of the season against Banbridge but today he was superb. The speed of ruck ball he was getting away was excellent, it kept our attack flowing and he can be really proud of his performance."

The stakes continue to rise for Derry with a mouth watering trip to fourth placed Cooke next Saturday, a game McCarter admits is massive for both clubs.

"We've a few wee bumps and bruises but that's just the nature of the game. CI were very physical in that second half, they shortened up their game a bit which made it more physical and I don't think our backs saw too much of the ball second half, but everyone is unscathed and there are a few more to come back in so team selection is going to be tasty this week.

"I've always been 'take it game at a time' kind of a person and that's exactly what we have to do at the moment. There's no point looking too far ahead because that means you take your eye off he ball. It was important to win, great to get the bonus point and we know next Saturday is a massive game up in Cooke. That's an eight or nine pointer but we have a lot of motivation to go there."

City of Derry: Fearghus Canning, Cathal Cregan, Adam Marley, Tiarnan Dillon, Gerard Doherty, Tiarnan Thornton, Jake McDevitt, Stephen Corr, Eoin Coyle, Alex McDonnell, Jack Beattie, David Lapsley, David Graham, Ross McLaughlin, Killene Thornton. (Replacements) Tom Cameron, Cein McColgan, Colm Cregan.

CIYMS: Charlie Shannon, Scott McNarry, Tim Acheson, Damon Kitchen, Patrick Aitken, Adam McKenna, Scott Finlay, Scott Dowle, Nathan Biggerstaff, James Heyburn, Thomas Kane, Max Shannon, Jason Gilliland, Andy Hodgen, Peter Raine. (Replacements) Alex Elmore, Mark McConkey, Kane Hagen.

Referee: Chris Elliott