It’s agony for Monivea juniors after falling to late Sligo surge

Date Published: {J}

Rob Murphy

MONIVEA’S dream of All Ireland League Rugby appears to be slipping away once again this season after Sunday’s dramatic 30-20 defeat to Sligo in Hamilton Park. A stunning comeback from the home side which included two tries in the final ten minutes turned the contest on its head and has left four points between the sides in the league table with three games remaining.

We don’t throw words like epic down on these pages lightly but feel not even the slightest bit of hesitation in doing so here. Connacht’s leading two Junior clubs treated the Strandhill crowd of not far off a 1,000 to an epic in every sense on Sunday afternoon.

The game had five tries, two lead changes, a 14 point comeback and late drama to rival anything seen before in this league. Sligo won with a 17 point haul in the final ten minutes while Monivea’s talisman served a ten minute sin bin for his teams persistent infringements at the breakdown.

The scenes of jubilation from the Sligo bench and supporters as Aaron Spring sprinted home for a try that will never be forgotten in local rugby folklore were contrasted in stunning clarity by the utter dejection of those metres away in the Monivea camp. Nine years of hurt and another one was unfolding before their eyes. How had this slipped away?

Monivea had the aid of that slight slope in the opening half of a game that had been moved to the just about adequate side pitch at the venue because of frost. However, it wouldn’t be accurate to say that this accounted for their massive 17-3 half time advantage. They were the better team in that first half, more of their players were firing on all cylinders and it was all coming together neatly.

On seven minutes, the visitors struck the first major blow by answering an early Mark Butler penalty with a brilliantly taken try from Dave Prior after their forwards had driven up well. The quick ball and the centres sharp acceleration did the damage but the defence was alarmingly poor on the move.

The lead was extended to 10-3 when Ger O’Connor added a penalty to his conversion and the good start was in the bag for Monivea. The first half had bags more drama but just the one more score from Rory O’Connor.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.