Galwegians win but defeat for Corinthians

There was mixed news for city clubs Galwegians and Corinthians in the Ulster Bank League on Saturday.

Galwegians hosted UL/Bohemians in a top-of-the-table clash, and a late drop goal from Ciaran Gaffney saw them snatch a 13-10 victory to make it three wins from three, and keep them on top of the table.

Both sides came into this game with two wins each from their opening two games, so there were high hopes of an entertaining spectacle.

’Wegians took the lead in the second minute when a deft offload by centre Brian Murphy released full-back John Cleary down the left, who was held up just short, but he found Matt Dever on his shoulder and the left-winger continued his rich vein of form to score his fifth try in four games under the posts, with Dave Clarke converting for an early 7-0 lead.

Bohs out-half Shane Airey was wide with a 7th minute penalty attempt, but it worked to their advantage as the visitors charged down the 22 kick-out, and from a resulting line-out penalty, captain Ed Kelly got on the end of a rolling maul to cross for a try in the 10th minute, which was converted by Airey to pull the sides level, a 7-7 scoreline that still stood at the break.

The home side edged in front early in the second half with a Clarke penalty, but this was cancelled out by another Airey penalty.

Then with time running out, the winning score came when Caolin Blade robbed the visitors of possession from a maul out of nowhere. His counterattack stretched the Bohs defence, allowing substitute scrum-half Barry Lee feed fellow replacement Ciaran Gaffney who was in the pocket in front of the posts.

There was no such good news for Corinthians, who lost 23-18 away to Garryowen in Limerick. The visitors opened the scoring with an unconverted try from Jamie Dever, but Garryowen responded with a penalty and a converted try to lead 10-5 at the break.

The sides twice exchanged penalties in the second-half, but Corinthians came under huge pressure after the sin-binning of hooker Joey Merrigan, and that pressure eventually told when inside centre James McInerney got through the visitors cover for Garryowen’s second converted try for a 23-11 lead.

Corinthians never stopped battling, and they were rewarded in the 75^th minute when they drove Garryowen back over their line from a five-metre scrum, with tight-head prop Finlay Bealham claiming the touch-down.

Miah Nikora added the conversion to leave five points between the sides, and the visitors looked to have levelled matters right at the death when Conor Murphy and Nikora combined to send winger Owen Daly in at the corner flag, but he was adjudged to have been held-up.