Cork Constitution Lose Lead at the Top

Old Belvedere are back on top of Division 1A of the Ulster Bank League after the Dublin side’s 10-9 home win over bottom side Blackrock College.

Young Munster 6, Cork Constitution 3
Young Munster kept their hopes of a play off place alive with a narrow victory over leaders Cork Constitution at muddy Tom Clifford Park.

The visitors led 3-0 at the break with a penalty from Gerry Hurley after Munster’s Willie Staunton was sin binned.
A yellow card to Con’s Stephen Archer resulted in Alan Kingsley leveling the tie. Five minutes from time Kingsley slotted over his second penalty to the delight of the large home following.

Scorers Young Munster: Alan Kingsley 2 pens
Cork Constitution: Gerry Hurley pen

Young Munster: R Moloney; M Doyle, M Costelloe, G Jones, A Carroll; W Staunton, A Kingsley; G Flaherty, G Slattery, A Cotter; S O'Neill, B Guilfoyle; L Og Murphy, J O'Neill, N Melbourne.
Replacement: D Payne for S O’Neill 37 min.

Cork Constitution: S Scanlon; T Gleeson, S Deasy, I Dinneen, S Zebo; G Hurley, D Williams; S Archer, D Fogarty, M Gately, B Hayes, J McSwiney; C O'Flaherty, B Cutriss, F Cogan.
Replacement: A Foley for J McSwiney.
Referee: L Colgan (IRFU).

Shannon 20, St Mary's College 15
Shannon put the defeat by Garryowen a week ago behind them when they beat St Mary's College at Coonagh in a game ruined by constant rain.

St Mary's made the ideal start when they hit the front after only three minutes when second row Ciaran Ruddock got in for a try which Gavin Duffy converted.

That served as the perfect wake-up call for Shannon as memories of the two soft second half tries they conceded against Garryowen looked like coming back to haunt them.

It was seventeen minutes before outhalf Gareth Quinn McDonagh opened Shannon's account with a penalty.

Three minutes before the break Shannon hit the front with a try from winger Luke O'Dea who touched down after a series of assaults on the visitor’s line looked like yielding nothing. Quinn McDonagh added the conversion and in stoppage time to the half the home side struck again.

In the build up to the try there were nine phases of play before number 8, Dave Quinlan got the touchdown and Quinn McDonogh converted.

Quinn McDonagh kicked a penalty eleven minutes into the second half to extend Shannon’s lead.
St Mary's kept battling away and they were rewarded with a try by Damien Hall five minutes from time which Gavin Duffy converted.

Scorers Shannon: L O'Dea, D Quinlan tries, G Quinn McDonagh 2 pens 2 cons.
St Mary's College: C Ruddock, D Hall tries, G Duffy pen, con.

Shannon: D O'Donovan; L O'Dea, M Lawler, M O'Driscoll, S Kelly; G Quinn McDonagh, P Rowley; L Hogan, D Casey, K Griffin; N O'Brien, , F Walshe; E McLoughlin, P Butler, D Quinlan.
Replacements: C McMahon for O'Brien, R Mullane for O'Donovan, R Guerin for O'Driscoll.
St Mary's Colleges: G Dunne; P Gillespie, S Grissing, M Sexton, D Hudson; I McKinney, M D'Arcy; Robert Sweeney, Richard Sweeney, C McMahon; C Ruddock, D Hall; K Sheehan, P Nash, H Hogan.
Replacements: J McCarthy for McMahon, J Cogan for Sheehan, D Campbell for D'Arcy.
Referee: M Black (IRFU)

Dolphin 14, Garryowen 3.
A deserved win for Dolphin at Musgrave Park as they battled the conditions for a second successive victory.

Playing with the rain and gale Dolphin went ahead with a drop goal from Barry Keeshan after sixteen minutes. Great defending by Garryowen kept the home side out until Keeshan added a penalty two minutes before the interval and than made it 9-0 with a second drop goal on the stroke of half time.

Declan Cusack reduced the deficit with a penalty seven minutes into the second half but Dolphin held the upper hand and a try by Harry Fleming mid way through the half secured the points for the home side.

Scorers Dolphin:H Fleming try,B Keeshan 2 drp gls, pen
Garryowen:D Cusack pen.

Dolphin:N Walley;C Bohane,B Dennehy,H Fleming,P Hurley; B Keeshan (capt), G O'Keeffe;P Borlase,N Scannell,C Condon,D O’Callaghan,P Murphy,R Geoghegan,J Quill,J Coughlan.
Garryowen:L Bourke;A Gaughan,C Hircock,C Doyle (capt),R O'Mahony;D Cusack,A Healy; JP Cooney,M Sherry,D Lavery,F McKenna,A McCloskey,P Neville,A Kavanagh,D Sherry.

U.L. Bohemian and Bruff kept their hopes alive of promotion to Division 1A with victories.

At the Aviva Stadium U.L. Bohemian defeated Lansdowne 17-13. The visitors led 14-10 at half time with tries from Sean Rennison and Cathal Sheridan. JJ Hanrahan converted both and landed a drop goal after the break.

Scorers Lansdowne: John Lyne try, Eoghan Hickey con, pen.
U.L. Bohemian: Sean Rennison, Cathal Sheridan tries. JJ Hanrahan 2 cons, drp gl.

Bruff 10, UCC 0.
Bruff had to work very hard for their win at Kilballyowen and it was a 48th minute try by fullback Brendan Deady that made all the difference.

Bruff led with a Brian Cahill penalty after nine minutes.

A great bit of inter-change play by Deady and Eoin Maher paved the way for Deady's try which Brian Cahill converted to gain precious points for the Munster cup holders.

Scorers Bruff: Brendan Deady try, Brian Cahill con, pen.
Bruff: B Deady; P O'Brien, B Cahill, E Cahill, J Moore; T Cahill, E Maher; D Horan, C O'Regan, D Murnane; P Malone, J Shine, M Carroll.
Replacement: M O’Driscoll for O’Regan 34.
UCC: W Walsh; A O'Leary, A Burke, B Derham, A Crowley; J Holland, B Slater; G Duffy, K O'Byrne, John Ryan; M Kennefick, P Donnellan; B Quill, J McCarthy, James Ryan.
Referee: O. Hodgins (IRFU).

In Division Two Midleton’s promotion hopes received a set back at Corinthian Park when the Galway side defeated them 18-12. Robert Smyth and Michael Cronin scored tries for the visitors and Jeff Hitchmough converted.

Clonakilty moved off the foot of the table and up two places after their 39-7 home win over Malone at The Vale.

The home side led 22-0 at the break with tries from Darragh Lynch, Alfie Harte and Michael Keohane and Denis McCarthy kicked two conversions and a penalty. Ryan Purcell and McCarthy added further tries and McCarthy added a conversion. John Pentland scored a try and conversion for the visitors.

Scorers Clonakilty: D McCarthy try, 3 cons, pen, D Lynch, A Harem Keohane Purcell Fleming tries,
Malone: J Pentland try,con.

Old Crescent lost at home to Old Wesley 14-7. Eugene McGovern scored a try for the Limerick side and Fergal Lawlor converted.

Thomond now occupy last spot after their home game with DLSP was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

A late rally by Sunday’s Well saw them come from 7-3 down to defeat Connemara 22-7.Three penalties by David Delaney gave Nenagh Ormond a 9-8 away win over Navan.

Highfield caused an upset with a 13-0 away win over promotion chasing Nass. Dave Walker scored a try for the visitors and Colin Mahoney kicked a conversion and two penalties.

RESULTS:
Ulster Bank League Division 1A:Dolphin 14,Garryowen 3;
Old Belvedere 10,Blackrock College 9;
Shannon 20,St. Mary's College 15;
Young Munster 6,Cork Constitution 3;

Division 1B:Bruff 10,U.C.C. 0;
Buccaneers 11,Clontarf 6;
Dungannon 21,Galwegians 15;
Lansdowne 13,U.L. Bohemian 17;

Division 2:Ballymena 21,Queens University 20;
Ballynahinch 32,Dublin University 23;
Bective Rangers 9,U.C.D. 16;
Clonakilty 39,Malone 7;
Corinthians 18,Midleton 12;
Old Crescent 7,Old Wesley 14;
Terenure College 10,Belfast Harlequins 17;
Thomond v D.L.S.P. Off;

Division 3:Banbridge 15,Rainey Old Boys 20;
NUIM Barnhall v Suttonians Off;
City of Derry 17,Wanderers 20;
Connemara 7,Sunday's Well 22;
Greystones 55,Ards 0;
Naas 0,Highfield 13;
Navan 8,Nenagh Ormond 9;
Seapoint 17,Instonians 24;