DIVISION 1A ROUND-UP
UCD threatened to end Terenure College's long-standing 28-match Ulster Bank League winning streak tonight before the Division 1A leaders stamped their authority on the sides' Belfield clash to take a 26-17 verdict.
Unbeaten in league fare since February 2013, Terenure fell 17-8 behind with little over 16 minutes remaining as UCD put themselves in a winning position.
The fiercely determined College side had built a 12-3 interval lead on the back of tries from scrum half Nick McCarthy (25 minutes) and right winger Sam Coghlan Murray, who touched down just two minutes later from a superb 60-metre breakout.
Although the visitors rallied to make it 12-8, with a James Thornton penalty and Stephen O’Neill try, UCD were clinical again when Adam Byrne ran a kick back with interest and Risteard Byrne set Coghlan Murray’s second try of the night.
But James Blaney’s Terenure somehow found their way out of a deepening hole, replacement Mark O’Neill coming on to kick a settling penalty and close the gap back to 17-11.
Following a Garry Ringrose penalty miss, the students showed their first signs of creaking as Stephen O’Neill sent winger James O’Donoghue down the right touchline for a 73rd minute try. Mark O’Neill’s missed conversion left it on a knife-edge at 17-16.
Barely three minutes later, the visitors led for the first time when replacement Alex Dunlop got his offload away for fellow back rower Robert Duke to charge in for a converted try.
Mark O’Neill mercilessly added a penalty in the final minute to deny UCD a bonus point they wholeheartedly deserved but, in truth, Bobby Byrne’s youngsters should have been out of sight by the time O’Donoghue had scored ‘Nure’s second try.
The hard-fought victory has Terenure seven points clear at the top of the table, and they will have been pleased to see defending champions Clontarf falter at home to Old Belvedere.
Clontarf’s hopes of retaining their league crown took a further dent as Danny Riordan’s late drop goal gave Old Belvedere a 20-17 comeback win.
After a mistake-riddled first half during which Josh Glynn and Alan Hughes scored a penalty apiece, Clontarf seemed to have the game within their grasp when converted tries from Ariel Robles and Matt D’Arcy pushed them 17-3 clear.
Winger Robles finished off some fine work from replacement Mark Sutton, while shortly afterwards out-half D’Arcy supplied the finishing touches to a clever blindside break.
However, Old Belvedere, who were held to a draw by Dolphin last week, found an extra gear to work Charlie Rock and Adam Howard over for tries. Josh Glynn’s second successful conversion tied things up before full-back Riordan - the reigning Division 1A Player of the Year - stepped forward to condemn ‘Tarf to their third defeat in six games.
Tonight’s Leeside derby between Dolphin and Cork Constitution was a try-less affair as Stuart Lee landed a late levelling penalty for the hosts in a 6-6 draw at Musgrave Park.
Lee had rescued a draw for Dolphin at Old Belvedere last week and starting at out-half this time, he repeated the trick in the 81st minute to deny Cork Con the derby spoils.
Constitution veteran Darragh Lyons kicked a penalty in each half, as did Lee, with a crowd in excess of 2,500 baying for a try. It never came, but the home fans were very satisfied to see Dolphin make it three league games without defeat against their local rivals - they did the double on Con last season.
Meanwhile, Lansdowne issued a serious statement of intent at Templeville Road tonight, running out 38-20 winners as St. Mary's College succumbed to their fifth defeat of the season.
Young out-half Conor McKeon laid off for his Ireland Under-20 colleague Cian Kelleher to score the visitors' first try. Promising St. Mary's number 8 Nick Timoney touched down but a second Lansdowne try - finished off by flanker Aaron Conneely - had them 14-10 ahead at the break.
Gavin Dunne's third successful place-kick reduced the arrears for the home side to 14-13, only for Lansdowne to kick on in the third quarter. Paddy O'Driscoll broke from a scrum and offloaded for his half-back partner McKeon to tee up a try for centre Tom Farrell on the right.
Full-back Scott Deasy converted and Mike Ruddock's men secured their bonus point in the 67th minute when winger Eoghan Quinn touched down. Mary's were demoralised at this point and Lansdowne rubbed in their dominance with further tries from Stephen Gardiner and Farrell.
Tempers frayed in injury-time as referee Olly Hodges sent Brian McGovern of Mary's and Lansdowne try scorer Gardiner to the sin-bin following an off-the-ball fracas. This was an isolated in what was generally a sporting game which ended with a consolation try for Mary's number 10 Cathal Marsh.
DIVISION 1B ROUND-UP
When referee Ken Imbusch sounded the final whistle at the end of a dogged Limerick derby at Thomond Park tonight, 11-6 victors Garryowen had only 13 players on the pitch against UL Bohemians.
Two late yellow cards might well have cost them victory as, in the final moments, hosts UL created a try-scoring opportunity but knocked on.
Two penalties by Garryowen out-half Jamie Gavin after four and 18 minutes were cancelled by two from Shane Airey, the Bohs number 10 who came into the game having scored 41 points during the opening five rounds.
The only try of this defence-dominated encounter came after 34 minutes when Garryowen hooker Ed Rossiter blocked down an attempted clearance and won the race for the touchdown.
Neither side could manage a score in a lively second half but it was the third-placed Light Blues who celebrated at the finish to earn the derby bragging rights. Having returned to winning ways, Conan Doyle's men are seven points clear of Bohs in the Division 1B table.
Meanwhile, Galwegians bounced back from losing their unbeaten record to Ballymena as they got the better of city rivals Corinthians, winning 18-10 in damp conditions at Corinthian Park.
The former table toppers had to do it the hard way as the hosts broke into a 10-0 first half lead, Conor Murphy kicking a penalty and converting a try from centre David Panter who capitalised on loose Galwegians possession.
Corinthians remained 10 points to the good up to the interval despite losing flanker Marc Kelly to the sin-bin - the first of three yellow cards for Pat Cunningham's side on the night.
'Wegians turned around with the breeze behind them and made immediate inroads. Just six minutes in, they notched a converted try in the corner as winger Jerome Harimate claimed his fourth try of the current league run.
Two Ross Shaughnessy penalties after 50 and 62 minutes edged Matt Brown's men in front at 11-10. Corinthians needed to respond, but instead 'Wegians pushed on thanks to centre Brian Murphy's clever line to score under the posts in the 69th minute.
Shaughnessy converted and 18-10 is how it stayed as Corinthians were unable to even garner a losing bonus point from a frustrating final quarter.
