Dungannon aiming to bolster promotion hopes with victory in Tyrone derby against Clogher Valley

Jonny Gillespie’s side closed the gap to five points on the Dubliners with five games remaining and face another huge game this week as they make the short trip to third-placed Clogher Valley for the Tyrone derby.

Gillespie said: “We’d set the scene during the week making sure that on our home pitch it wasn’t going to be Wanderers’ first opportunity to go up straight away and we refused to let that happen, and I thought Jonny Graham did a really good job framing that and the boys bought into it.

“Down in Dublin it was tight so we knew it was going to be tight again, and it was a case of could we come out on the right side of it and thankfully we did with a mature performance.

“It was the right balance of accuracy and energy that we maybe had been missing the last couple of weeks and that was probably the most pleasing thing.

“We have the same wins and losses as them. There isn’t a whole pile between the teams, they have just swamped a few teams and we haven’t.

“We are happy where we are and it is a fair enough reflection on how we have performed. It is tight above us and it is also tight behind us, not only are we trying to chase Wanderers we’re trying to keep Clogher at arms distance.”

Gillespie feels the Clogher game is big for rugby in the region.

“Everyone is trying to get a bit of form, Clogher is going to be massive – we are expecting a good atmosphere,” he added.

“Clogher have huge support and they are really passionate. They have a really strong community spirit, and we have to meet that head on.

“It should be a great advertisement for local rugby and we are massively excited about it.

“Clogher have contributed to the league massively. The first game at Dungannon was massive, the number of people in the bar afterwards – that is all important because the social side of it too is really important.

“They have embraced the league, and we are delighted that they are there. The more spicy Ulster derbies the better, they only come round a couple of times. We had Harlequins last year so we are well used to playing Ulster teams in Division 2B.

“It is nice to have your Tyrone neighbours in the same league. We’ll be trying to beat them and they will be trying to beat us, and that is just the rules of engagement and we’ll have a huge challenge on our hands.”

Fourth-placed Rainey host basement club Malahide while Malone travel to Galwegians.

In Division 2C second-placed Belfast Harlequins welcome back out-half Thomas Armstrong as they look to bounce back from last week’s defeat against Dolphin with a home tie against Clonmel.

There is an Ulster derby as Ballyclare welcome bottom of the table Omagh to the Cloughan.