Old Crescent escape UCC test with draw

WITH a game in hand on Dolphin and Thomond — the two teams above them in Division Two — Old Crescent remain in prime position for the sole automatic promotion spot to the AIB League Division One.

However, after this turgid affair, they will be hoping they aren’t looking back and wondering where it all slipped away.

“I think they’re going back with their tails between their legs anyway,” was UCC captain Conrad O’Sullivan’s less-than-charitable summary, and as he had been with his kicking for most of the game (he notched three penalties, all the UCC points, but missed a sitter towards the end of the first half), the impressive student outside-centre was spot-on.

“I’d say they expected an easy game,” he continued, and indeed that was the way it looked for the whole of this disappointing game. In an error-ridden display, Crescent looked like they’d left their recent impressive form on the team bus; sluggish, tentative and nervous at times, they looked anything but a Division One-bound side.

“I’m not happy,” said coach Matt T’Pau afterwards. “We looked lethargic, they looked to be up for it. We had a lot of possession, should have created something from that, could have had two or three tries. I felt we never stamped our authority on this game.”

That they didn’t was down in large measure to self-destruction, at least three clear try-scoring chances missed through either careless passing or hands of stone. The other factor was the magnificent UCC defence.

“A pretty ordinary day for us really, but credit to UCC, they defended well, stuck at it, did their job”, said Crescent captain Jay Cusack.

We had our chances, should have had some tries, but they had their chance too in the end, and perhaps we were lucky enough to come up with a draw, we could have lost it”.

Stars of that defensive show for College was an outstanding back row, late replacement Noel O’Donovan on the blind, the outside pair of Denis Leamy and Steve Keogh simply magnificent on both sides of the ball.

Scrumhalf Frank Murphy enjoyed a terrific battle with his opposite number Eoin Reddan, which the youngster shaded Dolphin’s loss combined with Thomond’s win and the Old Crescent draw means that while there was no change in the top three placings, things have tightened up, Thomond just three points behind Dolphin, Old Crescent a further four behind but with that game in hand.

DLSP, Barnhall and Bective Rangers are next-best placed, and all did their cause a power of good at the weekend, with wins over Malone, Ballynahinch and Young Munster respectively.

While top spot seems to be between the top three, any of 11 teams could still qualify for the top-four playoffs, Ballynahinch and Malone lowest placed, but with two games in hand.

At the bottom, looking bad for Greystones and Portadown, while Sunday’s Well finally delivered the win their form suggested they were capable of to put some daylight between themselves and the bottom two. Interesting times ahead and still plenty to play for everyone in the division.