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 | | Friday, 7 September, 2001, 17:56 GMT 18:56 UK Wallace stars in Ulster fightback  Ulster star Paddy Wallace tackles an Ebbw Vale problem Ebbw Vale 27-29 Ulster Paddy Wallace just cannot keep out of the headlines as he guided Ulster to a narrow but deserved victory at Eugene Cross Park on Friday evening. Wallace contributed 19 points with five sweetly-struck penalties and converting soft tries by Ryan Constable and Tyrone Howe. Standing in for the injured David Humphreys, Wallace was in embullient mood with lovely hands, great tactical nous for a youngster who is also not afraid to put in some hefty tackles. Belfast-born Wallace has been a revelation at full-back for the European Cup champions after given his chance by coach Alan Solomons.
He proved that he looks the complete player since his move up from Dublin at the start of the season. But in the end it was a sweat for Ulster who now move into third slot in Pool A and better positioned to grab one of the four play-off spots. Ebbw Vale can only look back and wonder. They held a 20-3 half-time advantage after taking their chances when they arrived against an Ulster side who showed little teeth in the first period.
What made matters worse for Ebbw Vale is that gifted Ulster their two tries by spilling the ball and allowing the visitors to counter. But most damaging was the reversed penalty by referee Tony Spreadbury near the end. Reversed Ulster were holding a tenuous 22-20 lead when they were penalised inside their ''22''. But a loose boot by a Vale forward saw the decision reversed and a great chance to snatch victory had evaporated. To make maters worse, Vale then presented Ulster with their second try two minutes from the end with Wallace pouncing on the loose ball to set up Howe. Ebbw Vale coach Mike Ruddock will look and wonder how his side managed to have two games in succession snatched from their grasp when the points were there for the taking.
Full-back Gareth Cull had opened the scoring in the third minute with a penalty before Wallace equalised six minutes later. But as Ulster lacked the cutting edge and their line-outs were again proving fallible, Ebbw Vale struck twice with devastating effect. First a turn-over at a line-out allowed the ball to flash left across the threequarter line and winger Andrew Wagstaff charged in at the corner. Big hole Scott Mitchell, who took over the kicking duties from the injured Cull, added the touchline conversion to an earlier penalty. Then scrum-half Gareth Betts scored a real cheeky try. Ebbw Vale were finding it hard to breach the Ulster defence with forward drives, but Betts found a very big hole to sprint in under the posts a minute from the break. But instead of consolidating their lead on the restart, Ebbw Vale allowed Ulster to slowly and surely peg them back. In between four Wallace penalties Ebbw Vale gifted Constable his try when they lost possession while attempting to attack in their own half. Howe's try just made things worse, and a Gareth Green try and Mitchell conversion five minutes into injury hardly salved Ruddick's pain. Ebbw Vale: G Cull; A Takarangi, R Shorney, D Weatherley, A Wagstaff; S Mitchell, G Betts; I Thomas, L Phillips, M Jones, C Billen (capt), N Edwards, K Tuipolotu, W Thomas, P Williams. Ulster: N Malone; J Topping, R Constable, A Larkin, T Howe; P Wallace, N Doak; J Fitzpatrick, P Shields, S Best, M Blair, J Davidson, A Ward (capt), N McMillen, R Nelson. | |
See also:  Other top Northern Ireland stories:  Links to more Northern Ireland stories are at the foot of the page. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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