Dolphin brimming with confidence

DOLPHIN have had their share of problems in trying to hang on to their status in division two of the AIB League.

Imagine their delight then that they managed to whack DLSP in the opening fixture of the campaign and follow that up with an impressive away victory over Barnhall.

DLSP were one of two teams relegated from division one and Barnhall finished an impressive third in the second division, beaten for a place in the first division only on points difference.

For captain David Pomeroy it certainly made a change. “We have struggled for a couple of years and these two wins have certainly taken the heat off us.

“We are not assuming that it will be easy as the campaign goes on but it has been a nice start all the same.”

Dolphin take on Portadown at Musgrave Park this afternoon (2.30) and based on recent form will be hot favourites. Portadown finished 11th of the 16 teams in the division last season and have had a bad start.

While Dolphin beat DLSP 32-3, Bective knocked Portadown for six and won the opening game 43-7.

Week two wasn’t much better for the Ulster club and they lost 11-18 at home to Old Belvedere, by no means the greatest movers and shakers of the division.

Dolphin’s 13-3 win over Barnhall was a surprise but a welcome one for Pomeroy. “We played very well against one of the top three sides in the division last year. We have started our campaigns badly in the last couple of years so this makes a totally welcome change. The one bit of gloom concerns injured prop forward Michael O’Connell who sustained a serious neck injury during Dolphin’s Cork Charity Cup clash with Clonakilty last weekend.

O’Connell, a replacement for regular Eddie Knowles, is now receiving intense treatment in a Dublin hospital in a bid to help him make a full recovery.

“Needless to mention, our thoughts are with him and it was a shocking injury, something that none of us want to think about.

“It was very upsetting for the players to watch but we must think about him and his family.

“I must say it was very difficult to bring ourselves forward and think about another game this weekend but we can only try our best to do so.

“Hopefully, for the duration of the match at least, we can focus in on taking some more points and maybe giving him a boost by doing it for him.”

Meanwhile, as Cork Constitution, the division one leaders, prepare for a home tie at Temple Hill against Buccaneers, the appalling weather conditions in the eastern part of the country have not yet taken a huge toll.

Skerries, one of the most battered areas of the eastern seaboard, will be unable to host the match against Clonakilty.

DOLPHIN: M. Pitman, L. Twomey, B. O'Neill, M. Manning, S. O'Halloran, J. O'Mahony, K. Murphy, J. O'Sullivan, D. O'Farrell, E. Knowles, D. Pomeroy, R. McGrath, S. Madigan, J. Coughlan, D. Murphy.