McKee magic crucial as Con smash-and-grab raid stuns Bohs

HARDLY the scoreline you would expect from two of the AIL’s Division One high-flyers, but there were extenuating circumstances in this top-four clash on Saturday afternoon last on the back pitch at Thomond Park.

Gale-force winds blew directly downfield, with occasional showers joining the party, while a poor playing surface had enough sand to have emptied Ballybunion. Not what the good-sized crowd had come to cheer, but that wasn’t the fault to two extremely game sides.

Despite the lack of scores, of tries particularly, this was still an entertaining battle, a nailbiter that came right down to the final play.

Well into injury-time, in yet another good handling move inside the Con 22, UL Bohs created a golden opportunity and had the try-line and the game at their mercy, but substitute Tommy O’Donnell knocked on. Con had a defensive scrum on their own 5m line but given the power of their outstanding pack, they were never going to be troubled in that area; the ball was cleared to touch by impressive try-scoring scrum-half Peter McKee and the game was over.

“Very disappointed,” said UL Bohs director of rugby Mike Tewkesbury.

“Certain key areas where we didn’t function. The lineout was a problem for us though theirs is obviously very good.”

With Shane O’Connor and Merle O’Connell utterly dominant, Con took Bohs ball almost at will. UL Bohs lost several over-ambitious throws to the back, blown off course by the huge wind.

“I don’t know why we did that,” said a slightly bemused Tewkesbury, “Probably desperation, we were under pressure there. Happens sometimes I’m afraid, but we got enough ball otherwise, put them under pressure, just didn’t finish.

“In the second half the performance in that respect was vastly improved. It was always going to be hard, disappointing to lose in that manner, a try missed right at the end, the game was certainly there for the taking.”

Con led at the break, courtesy of a Richard Lane penalty and a mauled try, with powerful scrum-half McKee touching down. Having played with the gale in the first-half, it didn’t seem like that would be nearly enough for Con against a side as talented as this current Bohs 15. Another Lane penalty just eight minutes into the second half, however, put the visitors 11-0 ahead.

Out-half Ben Martin opened the scoring for UL-Bohs with a booming penalty from ten metres inside his own half in the 54th minute. A superb break five minutes later from the same man then led to a try from flying left-winger Ian Hanley, and Bohs seemed set at 11-8. However that was to be it.

A win stolen? “It was,” admitted Con coach Brian Walsh. “To be fair, they had a great chance at the end to win it, it should have been a try, but I don’t think we deserved to lose the game either, to be honest. They got a good opportunist try but didn’t create much else, there wasn’t much between the sides.

“The league is all about taking your chances, at the top level particularly, but I do feel some sympathy for Bohs. They’re a good side, it was a good game, very competitive, very physical, and both sides fought very hard.

Walsh added: ‘‘It was a pity it wasn’t played on the main pitch, I think you’d have seen better rugby from both sides. A narrow pitch with a big wind blowing straight down the middle, it was never going to be pretty, it was always going to be a case of whoever dogged it out the best.

‘‘Going into the last few minutes a few decisions went against us, a few incidents that the officials obviously missed. But that’s the way it goes, some decisions go against you, but some decisions went against Bohs as well. We’re just delighted to come out of here with a win. It was a great defensive performance, we’ve played competitively every weekend since the 10th of October, so it’s about grinding out results, keeping going even when things are going against you.”

Both sides are still in the top four, but Con have now leap-frogged Bohs, who drop from second to fourth. Garryowen are top with Shannon second. Four Munster teams, three from Limerick — the more things change, the more they stay the same.

CORK CONSTITUTION: D. Hurley; R. Lane (2P), T. Gleeson, D. O’Leary, C. Healy; D. Lyons, P. McKee (1T); Tom Ryan, D. Murray, C. Murphy; M. O’Connell, S. O’Connor; R. Noonan, B. Cutriss, F. Cogan (c). Subs: Tim Ryan (Murphy 57); J. Moloney (Noonan 57); D. Nethery (Lyons 68).

UL BOHEMIANS: M. Butler; M. McPhail, T. Luke, C. Finn (c), I. Hanley (1T); B. Martin (1P), F. Lawlor; K. Flanagan, G. Ryan, M. Storey; K. Barry, A. Hartigan; A. O’Gorman, J.E. O’Connor, J. O’Neill. Subs: C. Parkes (Ryan 58); T. O’Donnell (Barry 58); P. Breen (O’Connor 74).

Referee: A. Lewis (IRFU).