Wesley given a hard lesson

OLD WESLEY plunged into a battle against relegation when they crashed to a heavy defeat at Stevenson Park on Saturday.

Old Wesley's only score of the game came gift wrapped late in the first half. Dungannon scrum half Stephen Bell was again an inspired figure, but it was his impetuous tapped penalty, 35 metres from his own line, which was intercepted and presented Wesley centre Colin Younger with a try.

The try, converted by out half Adrian Hawe, brought the visitors level after prop Gary Leslie had taken advantage of Bell's eye for the slightest opening to score under the posts after 13 minutes, with Ashley Blair converting.

Dungannon were back in front shortly before the break, full back Peter Sandford taking Ronnie Carey's right wing pass for a wonderful try. Sandford's spirit of adventure brought him a second try early in the second half, with Blair soon following with a penalty.

Old Wesley, now 13 points adrift, lost their way when the early foraging influence of Shane Gill and Cris Pim visibly waned. And in Sandford's surging runs, Dungannon had a weapon to which the visitors could find no answer. The full back set up Carey for a try, and Blair added the points.

Bell's first half moment of madness was forgotten when his tapped penalty five minutes from the end yielded a Dungannon try, number eight Jeremy Hastings accepting the opportunity.

Blair converted this and the home side's sixth try, a Carey intercept.