Sports
Galwegians win but Corinthians edged out at home
Galwegians strengthened their grip at the top of Division 1b of the Ulster Bank League, but Corinthians slipped to a sixth defeat.
The Glenina side were 10-6 in the battle of the Sky Blues when they took on Garryowen in Dooradoyle, with Doron McHugh’s second-half try proving to be the decisive score.
After a cagey opening by both sides, Garryowen took a 13th minute lead thanks to a penalty from out-half Jamie Gavin, following a strong scrummage from the home pack near the visitors 22, and only score of the first half.
This game was effectively decided in the opening 10 minutes of the second-half. Galwegians came out of the traps and deservedly pulled level in the 44th minute courtesy of a well-struck long range penalty by full-back John Cleary.
The home side suffered a blow when replacement full-back and Ireland U-20 international Alex Wooton was sent off for foul play by ref Oisin Quinn after extensive consultation with his touch-judge miniutes later, and then came the game’s only try,
A textbook driving maul saw McHugh get on the end of it to dive over for his third try of this campaign. Cleary added the extras to put Galwegians 10-3 to the good.
However credit to the hosts who responded very well to the setback. They took the game to Wegians and Gavin landed his second penalty just after the hour mark following some sustained pressure which forced Wegians to drift offside.
This reduced the lead to 10-6, and shortly afterwards the visitors lost the influential McClearn to the sin-bin, which led to a predictable onslaught from the hosts which tested the resolve and discipline of Wegians, but not for the first time this season their gritty and determined defence held out.
There was no such joy for Corinthians, who let a 12-0 lead slip at home to UL/Bohemians as they ended up on the wrong side of a 14-12 scoreline.
Corinthians took the lead in the 25th minute when they were awarded a penalty try. The visitors had lock Craig Irwin sent to the sinbin, and with the home side driving the scrum towards the line, the visitors were penalised for collapsing, and full-back Conor Murphy added the conversion for a 7-0 lead.
They extended their lead early in the second half with a fine individual try from Darrin Classen, who intercepted a UL/Bohs pass inside his own half, and he raced away to score in the corner, although it meant a narrow angle for the conversion, which Murphy was off-target with.
Corinthians of old would have closed the game down at this stage and kept the ball under their jumpers but alas they tried to run the ball. As they did so Bohs man-of-the-match Shane Airey intercepted to run in and touchdown in the corner.
He also converted, and all of a sudden the visitors were back in the game on a 12-7 scoreline with 25 minutes remaining. The home side’s pack put in some driving efforts, with lock Mark Byrne, young flanker David Joyce put veteran Gary Warde was also very much to the fore, but for all their possession they were unable to get into the visitors’ 22, and they were made to pay with eight minutes remaining.
Airey found a mighty touch five metres form the Corinthians line, and while the home side won the lineout and cleared their lines, the driving wind meant the clearance kick went to touch inside the 22.
Ed Kelly claimed possession from the lineout, and as the visitors’ pack drove forward, scrum-half Craig Miller ripped possession and scurried over the line for a try which Airey converted for what proved to be the winning score.