Mixed Day For Munster Sides in AIL

Victories for Con’, Shannon and Young Munster in the opening round of Division 1A of the Ulster Bank League.

Lansdowne 9, Cork Constitution 21.
Cork Constitution came from nine points down to defeat Lansdowne at the Aviva Stadium 21-9. Gerry Hurley kicked three first half penalties to tie up the scores at half time and added a further three after the break. Darragh Lyons completed the victory with an excellent drop goal.
Lansdowne: R McCarron (c); C Aherne, S Carey, W Walsh, M Healy; C Ronaldson, P O’Driscoll; C Murphy, D Toomey, D O’Reilly; N Keogh, M Feeley; K Essex, J Kelly, R Boucher.
Replacements for Lansdowne: I Prendeville, S Collins, W Earle, C Crowley, F Doherty.
Cork Constitution: S Scanlon (c); S Zebo, I Dineen, R Clune, C Quinn; D Lyons, G Hurley; M Gately, A Cudmore, John Ryan; B Hayes, P Donnellan; B Cuttriss, B O’Hara, James Ryan.
Replacements for Cork Constitution: C Corkery, K Stokes, I Nagle, C O'Flaherty, A Ryan.
Referee: M Black (IRFU).

Young Munster 23, Old Belvedere 19
Just when a defeat looked odds-on Young Munster snatched a last minute win against last season's champions, Old Belvedere at Tom Clifford Park.
The all-important winning try came as the Dubliners rushed a clearance just at the finish. Full back Ray Moloney grabbed the clearance and jinked in for a try far out which sparked jubilation for the home supporters who had resigned themselves to defeat.
In what was basically a shoot-out between Willie Staunton for the home side and Conal Keane for Belvo’ and it was Staunton who struck first but two by Keane had the visitors in front.
Staunton tied it up before Keane put over two more for the visitors to make it 12-6, but a brace of kicks by Staunton tied it up at 12-12 at the interval.
Two minutes into the second half Staunton missed narrowly and it was old Belvedere who grabbed the opening try when replacement Kevin Buckley on for Mark Cooney touched down and Keane added the conversion to make it 19-12.
Staunton landed two more penalties and this just left only a point between them before Moloney's late try denied Old Belvedere.
Young Munster: R Moloney; M Doyle, M Costello, L Kunz, D O'Neill; W Staunton, M Prendergast; D Murphy, G Slattery, H McGrath; J Moroney, S Duggan; S Hassett, J O'Neill, M Rowley.
Old Belvedere: D Riordan; K Hurrell, J Kennedy, A Wynne, H Byrne; C Keane, A Dunne; V Soden, M Cooney, B O'Dea; D Moore, A Trennier; E Jackman, B Smyth, R Leyden.

Shannon 21, Dolphin 18
Centre Eric Moloney got in for two first half tries for Dolphin but his efforts were not sufficient to deny Shannon at Coonagh.
It looked like a Dolphin early on as they opened up a 15-3 lead inside 20 minutes.
Barry Keeshan kicked a fourth minute penalty for Dolphin and in between Moloney's brace of tries, one of which Keeshan converted, Garrett Quinn-McDonagh landed a fifteenth minute Shannon penalty and he had another midway through the half.
Quinn McDonagh kicked three more penalties in the second half with Ben Sargent kicking the first of his two after 52 minutes.
Eight minutes from the end Sargent was on target again to clinch a hard earned win for the multi-champions of the recent past.
Shannon: B Sargent; A Spring, L O'Dea, J Clogan, D O'Donovan; G Quinn McDonagh, R Guerin; L Hogan, D Casey, G McNamara; D Heffernan, F Walshe; S Keogh, L Mullane, D Quinlan.
Dolphin: N Walley; C Bohane, E Moloney, W Devane, K Brophy; B Keeshan, E O'Shaughnessy; R Allen, J Quill, D O'Callaghan; R O'Herlihy, C Rowe; C Condon, A O'Driscoll, J Cronin.
Referee: P Fitzgibbon (IRFU).

Garryowen 9 St Mary's College 13
Though they went in front with a Declan Cusack penalty after only two minutes Garryowen went under to a more enterprising St Mary's College in what became a feisty second half in the rain at Dooradoyle.
When Garryowen were penalised for hands in the ruck after 26 minutes Gavin Dunne deservedly drew the Saints level as they had moved the ball very effectively with some darting runs by Mark Sexton keeping Garryowen under severe pressure.
Another Dunne penalty before the break had St Mary's 6-3 in front at the interval after a Garryowen forward roamed offside just to the right of the posts and on the '22'.
Declan Cusack dropped a goal to tie it up for Garryowen but the game took a twist on 60 minutes.
Scrumhalf Matt Darcy got in for a try for the visitors as a consequence of which Paul Neville of Garryowen was sin-binned. Dunne converted.
Garryowen exerted late pressure and St Mary's finished with fourteen when Robert Sweeney was sent off two minutes from the end.
For all their late pressure Garryowen could only manage another penalty by Cusack as the Dubliners held on for a deserved win.
Garryowen: L Bourke; I Hanley, C Hircock, C Doyle, R O'Mahony; D Cusack, F Lawler; JP Cooney, A McMahon, D Lavery; D Sherry, M Melbourne; P Neville, A Kavanagh, L Via'pulu.
St Mary's College: G Dunne; R Doherty, S Gunning, M Sexton, D Fanning; P Brophy, M Darcy; C McMahon, Richard Sweeney, Robert Sweeney; G Logan, S Bhandichan, D Hall, D Kelleher, H Hogan.
Referee: E O'Dowd (IRFU).

There was no joy for the three Munster sides in Division 1B and 2A while all four sides in Division 2B won.

In Division 1B a try on the stroke of half time by Alistair Frazer which gave Ballymena an 8-6 interval lead over U.C.C. at the Mardyke saw the Ulster side hold out for victory. Cormac O’Flynn kicked two penalties for the students.

A try by Conor Lavelle denied Bruff victory at Dubarry Park as Buccaneers defeated them 17-11. Andrew Cashman scored a try for Bruff and Tony Cahill kicked two penalties.

A late rally by U.L. Bohemian at Deramore Park was not enough for the Limerick side as they lost 14-12 to Belfast Harlequins. JJ Hanrahan kicked three penalties and a drop goal for U.L. Bohemian.

Old Crescent managed to share the spoils at Donnybrook when they drew with Old Wesley 14-14 in Division 2A. Tom Cregan scored a try and two penalties for Crescent and Shane Mullally added a drop goal.

Two penalties from Wayne Murphy but it was not enough for Thomond who lost away to DLSP 26-6.

Midleton lost at home to Corinthians 15-13. Kieran Byrne scored a try for the East cork side and Peter Brougham added a conversion and two penalties.

Three penalties by Matt Kirby and a try was not enough for Clonakilty who lost 24-14 at Gibson Park to Malone.

Cashel made a winning start to their Ulster Bank League campaign in Division 2B with a 23-12 away win over Sutton at Station Road. Darragh O’Brien scored a try and kicked six penalties.

Nenagh Ormond made it a double for the Tipperary sides with a 21-6 win over Wanderers at Merrion Road. Shane Quinlan scored a try for Nenagh, who were also awarded a penalty try. Donal Fogarty kicked three penalties and a conversion.

Highfield travelled to Kildare and defeated Barnhall 17-13. John Sheehan and Mick Dillane scored tries for Highfield and Ricky Jacob converted both and also added a penalty.

A last minute injury time penalty from Shane O’Riordan gave Sunday’s Well a 9-6 win over City of Armagh at Musgrave Park. O’Riordan kicked two first half penalties to leave the sides tied 6-6 at half time.

Results:

Club Under 18 Inter Provincial: Leinster 8, Munster 0;

Ulster Bank League Division 1A: Blackrock College 6, Clontarf 30;
Garryowen 9, St. Mary's College 13;
Lansdowne 9, Cork Constitution 21;
Shannon 21, Dolphin 18;
Young Munster 23, Old Belvedere 19;

Division 1B: Belfast Harlequins 14, U.L. Bohemian 12;
Buccaneers 17, Bruff 11;
Dungannon 35, U.C.D. 13;
Galwegians 17, Ballynahinch 33;
U.C.C. 6, Ballymena 8;

Division 2A: City of Derry 27, Terenure College 23;
D.L.S.P. 26, Thomond 6;
Dublin University 21, Greystones 8;
Malone 24, Clonakilty 14;
Midleton 13, Corinthians 15;
Old Wesley 14, Old Crescent 14;
Queens University 28, Instonians 21;
Seapoint 21, Bective Rangers 17;

Division 2B: Banbridge 16, Navan 12;
Connemara 23, Naas 20;
NUIM Barnhall 13, Highfield 17;
Rainey Old Boys 39, Ards 3;
Sligo 20, Boyne 21;
Sunday's Well 9, City of Armagh 6;
Suttonians 12, Cashel 23;
Wanderers 6, Nenagh Ormond 21;