Garryowen Win But Lose Top Spot

Garryowen’s recent good run continues as they travelled to Temple Hill and came away with the points but Lansdowne’s bonus point victory over Dolphin sees them go top on points difference.

Lansdowne 37, Dolphin 7
A great start by Dolphin at the Aviva Stadium as a try by Rory Scannell which Barry Keeshan converted gave them an early 7-0 lead after three minutes.
However three tries by the home side saw them lead 17-7 at half time. Lansdowne had to wait until ten minutes from time before clinching the bonus point with late tries from Johnny Cooney and Jordi Murphy
Lansdowne: R McCarron; S Carey, K Tonetti, T Daly, M Roche; C Ronaldson, J Cooney; J O’Connell, T Sexton, M Moore; W Earle, M Feeley; C Ross, C Butterworth, J Murphy. Replacements used: C Aherne, R O’Driscoll, R Hynes, R Liddington.
Dolphin: N Walley; J Kiernan, H Fleming, D Barnes, R Scannell; B Keeshan, B Slater; J Cronin, N Scannell, C Condon; C Rowe, D O’Mahony; R O’Herlihy, M Cronin, R Murphy.
Replacements used: B O’Callaghan, C Bannon, W Foley.

Cork Constitution 14, Garryowen 20.
Garryowen were well worth their victory at Temple Hill as they kept their League challenge alive.
Two penalties from Johnny Holland had the home side 6-0 ahead after twenty minutes but a try by Roy Brosnan and a conversion and a penalty by Geoff Ryan had the visitors ahead at the break.
Niall O’Driscoll put Con’ ahead with a try early in the second half but Garryowen hit back immediately with a try from Ronan O’Mahony which Ryan converted.
Holland and Ryan exchanged late penalties as the visitors held on for an important victory.
Cork Constitution: Darragh Lyons: Peter Carroll, Robert Clune, Ivan Dineen, Conor Desmond; Johnny Holland, Gerry Hurley; John Ryan, Andrew O’Driscoll, Brian Cagney; Philip Donnellan, Ian Nagle; Graham Lawlor, Brian Hayes, James Ryan.
Garryowen: Ronan O'Mahoney; Lorcan Burke, Andrew O’Byrne, Conan Doyle, Eamon Connolly; Jamie Gavin, Neil Cronin; JP Cooney, James Rael, Rory Brosnan; Alan Kennedy, Aaron McCloskey; Conor Hartigan, Anthony Kavanagh, TJ Anderson.
Replacements: Dave Rowley, Brendan Cullinane, Mark Hanrahan, Jamie McGarry, Geoff Ryan.

Young Munster 40, Old Belvedere 3
Young Munster swept to a bonus point win when they proved too strong for Old Belvedere at Clifford Park as they maintained their challenge for honours.
A stoppage time try by Darragh O'Neill-his second of the game-earned the home side a bonus point.
Young Munster led 13-3 at the interval thanks mainly to a try by Neville Melbourne. After a number of unsuccessful drives for the line by their forwards-at a time when Belvo were reduced to 14-Melbourne finally found a gap to touch down close enough to the posts to enable Brian Haugh add the conversion.
Haugh had opened the scoring for Young Munster when Belvo were punished for off-side after five minutes.
But the lead lasted only three minutes as Young Munster were penalised for collapsing a scrum and Josh Glynn landed the penalty.
After 21 minutes Melbourne had his try at a stage when Belvo prop Pat O'Regan was sent to the sin bin after 18 minutes.
Haugh added another penalty before the interval and indiscipline cost Old Belvedere dearly in the second half when Haugh landed penalties after 49 and 69 minutes
It got better for Young Munster when Dom Lespierre chased a high kick which was not properly cleared and Lucas Kuntz got in and again Haugh converted. That was after 66 minutes and O'Neill had had his second try to earn the bonus point two minutes into stoppage time.
Brian Haugh had a superb afternoon for the home side and he kicked a total of 20 points, four penalties and four conversions.
Young Munster: Craig O’Hanlon; Dom Lespierre, Mark Doyle, Lukas Kuntz, Darragh O’Neill; Mike Prendergast, Brian Haugh; Alan Cotter, Ger Slattery, Hugh McGrath; Sean Duggan, Johnny Moroney; Neville Melbourne, Luke Russell, Mark Rowley.
Replacements: Ger Burke, Darragh Cantillon, Mike Madden, Declan Bannon, Garreth Quinn-McDonogh.
Old Belvedere: Danny Riordan (Capt); Josh Glynn, John Kennedy, Ben Woods, Eddie Devitt; Stephen Crosbie, Brian O’Neill; Pat O’Regan, Mark Cooney, Declan Lavery; David White, Dean Moore; Jonathan Slattery, Kieran O’Gorman, Leo Auva’a.
Replacements: Adam Howard, Paddy Hogan, Josh Eden-Whairtiri, Alex Kelleher, David Moore

UL Bohemian 8, Shannon 16. There were scenes of joy from Shannon fans at Thomond Park after their side recorded their first Ulster Bank League Division 1A victory of the campaign over home side UL Bohemian. After an interesting and hard fought first half, Shannon led 6-5. Former Shannon star Mossy Lawler gave Bohes the lead on 16 minutes when he ran onto a chip inside the 22 to touch down.
Two Tadhg Bennett penalties had Shannon 6-5 ahead three minutes before the break. With Ian Condell sent to the bin, Bohes restored the lead on 41 minutes thanks to a JJ Hanrahan penalty but again Shannon turned the tables on the home side, James Murphy getting over for a try and Tadhg Bennett converting to give the Parish boys a 13-8 lead with 30 minutes to go. Bohes missed a penalty kick five minutes later and with 20 minutes remaining, Rob Guerin sent the Shannon fans into happy mode when he landed a penalty to edge his side further ahead 16-8. Now out of losing bonus point territory, Bohes tried hard to get back on the scoreboard but with the last play of the game Shannon won a lineout close to the Bohes line, forced the penalty but Rob Guerin's penalty miss made no difference with the nine times champions fully deserving their victory.
U.L. Bohemian: Ben Martin; Tim Rafferty, Mossie Lawlor, Niall Kenneally, Rory White; JJ Hanrahan, Cathal Sheridan;
Tom Burke, Eddie Rossiter, Gary Walsh; Ed Kelly, Darragh Frawley; Conor Kindregan, Ian Condell, Sean Rennison.
Replacements: John Sutton, Darragh Lehane, Jack O’Donoghue, Brian Walsh, Alan Rossiter
Shannon: James Loxton; Mike D’Arcy, Eric Moloney, Richard Mullane, Dave Donovan; Tadgh Bennett, Rob Guerin; James Cronin, Duncan Casey, Gary McNamara; Sean McCarthy, Mike Cullane; Emmet McLaughlin, James Murphy, Mike Essex.
Replacements: Mark Corby, Gordon Birtchfield, John Shine, Johnny Sheerin, Willie O'Connor.

Bruff 3, Blackrock College 6
Bruff must be wondering how they lost after they completely dominated the second half at Kilballyowen in what was the first ever meeting of the clubs in this Division 1B tie.
Brian Cahill had Bruff in front with a penalty which David Godfrey cancelled out with a similar effort for the visitors.
After soaking up enormous pressure in the second half Blackrock broke downfield and Godfrey dropped the winning goal two minutes into stoppage time.
Bruff: Brian Carroll; Mark Cosgrove, Paul O’Brien, Owen Cahill, Robbie Finn; Willie Casey, Brian Cahill; Dave Horan, Cathal O’Regan, Colm O’Sullivan; Maurice O’Connell, Dumani Mtya; Mike Carroll, Danny Keogh, Paddy Cleary.
Replacements: John Hogan, Paudge Cleary, Owen Maher, Andrew Breen.
Blackrock College: Jan Simon-Byrne; Tom Keveney, Emile Van Wyck, Mike McKeever, Mark Scott-Lennon; Dave Godfrey, Dave Rowan; Dave Lewis, Ryan Fisher, Colin Phillips; Des Dillon, Owen Cullen; Mick Carroll, Peter McCauge, Job Langbroek.
Replacements: Daryl Charman-Dunne, Cian Culleton, Gary O'Riordan, Billy Glynn, David Scott-Lennon

Clonakilty 32, Connemara 0;
This battle of the basement clubs in Division 2B saw Clonakilty record their first victory of the campaign with this bonus point win.
Connemara are still pointless and face an enormous task to stay in the Ulster Bank League.
Tries by skipper Batt Duggan and Sean White and two conversions and two penalties by James Deasy had the home side 20-0 ahead at the interval with the advantage of the elements.
White added a third try early in the second half and a penalty try nine minutes from time secured the bonus point and Deasy added the extras.
Clonakilty: J Deasy; K Howlin, A Long, D Lombard, K O’Donovan; J Lee, M Purcell; D O’Neill, S Cotter, A Foley; T Keogh, S White; B Duggan, T Illston, C Canning.
Replacements: G Shannon, G McCarthy, A Harte, C Calnan, L O’Shea.
Connemara: A Keogh; S Biggins, D McDonnell, I Heanue, R Bourke; S Joyce, D Keogh; E Conroy, A Pryce, K Barry; K Keogh, M Flaherty; B Gibbons, D Heanue, H Tapp.
Replacements: D O’Reilly, B Keaney.

RESULTS:
Ulster Bank League Division 1A: Cork Constitution 14, Garryowen 20;
Lansdowne 37, Dolphin 7;
St. Mary's College 16, Clontarf 3;
U.L. Bohemian 8, Shannon 16;
Young Munster 40, Old Belvedere 3;

Division 1B: Ballymena 9, Dungannon 9;
Bruff 3, Blackrock College 6;
Buccaneers 25, U.C.D. 20;
Dublin University 16, Belfast Harlequins 20;
Malone 15, Ballynahinch 15;

Division 2B: Clonakilty 32, Connemara 0;