Shannon outplay Dungannon in all areas

Shannon 31 Dungannon 0

Cork Con on 42 points are seven clear in the number one spot but two big games in Limerick on Saturday has seen a number of changes in the order of the chasing pack.

In Dooradoyle, Garryowen had a big win over UL-Bohs, a result which brings them within six points of a play-off spot and drops Bohs back one place to third. Of even greater significance, however, was this game in Thomond Park between Shannon and Dungannon.

The visitors were flying high, tied on points with UL-Bohs in second place, while Shannon — reigning champions, — weren’t even in a play-off position and looked in real danger of missing out on the knock out stage for the first time.

Should have been a nail-biter then for the Limerick side, and that’s exactly what coach Mick Galwey was anticipating. What he got — a four-try bonus-point demolition, the opposition held scoreless — left him as surprised as everyone else in the small, but vocal, attendance.

“If we had been offered a 3-0 win beforehand we’d have grabbed it. We knew we had to perform today. It was going to be a serious day as regards movement and how the top four is going to finish up. I know it’s far from over yet, but if we had lost today we’d have been back down the middle of the pack and we couldn’t afford that. It was a great performance by the lads. We knew it was probably our last competitive game in Thomond Park, so we wanted to go out on a high note.”

This wasn’t just a win, however, this was a rout. From one to 15 — AIL debutant loose-head Conor Costigan to Heineken Cup warrior Mossy Lawlor — Shannon thoroughly outplayed Dungannon in every area of the pitch. It took them to the 13th to get any points on the board, a 35m penalty kick by out-half Andrew Thompson, but even by then the probable outcome was writ large, Thompson having already missed two earlier relatively easy chances. Before the break the experienced out-half would make further amends, another penalty notched, then an opportunist try, getting on the end of a fortunate deflection of his own chip ahead after great work out of defence by hooker Seán Cronin, Lawlor and young second-row Fergal Walsh. That left the score at the break at 13-0.

The second half was a totally one-sided affair. The first of their three tries was an outrageous solo effort from about 35m by youngster Cronin, beating winger Michael Pahi on the outside in the process.

For their second, Cronin’s searing pace was again to the fore; lovely hands by replacement prop Gary McNamara, acceleration into space by Cronin, before a scoring layoff to ever-present team captain Colm McMahon. The bonus try came in the second minute of injury-time when a big hit on Dungannon winger Neil Patterson by his opposite number, Pat O’Connor, meant the ball jarred loose, picked up and ran home by centre Andrew Finn.

“Fellas fronted up today, which they haven’t done for a while,” said Galwey, “And that was fantastic. We had a lot of young lads there — Conor Costigan, Seán Cronin, John Clogan, Fergal Walsh, Joe Manuel, they all came from our U-20 team of last year. That’s important, to have youth coming through, but we also have the likes of Andrew Thompson, an experienced player, Mossy Lawlor with plenty of Heineken Cup experience, great to have them there.”

They also have the likes of Tony Buckley at tight-head, a true man-mountain but with the handling skills of an inside back. Worryingly, however, for both Shannon and Munster, Mossy Lawlor hobbled from the field in the 37th minute, a damaged ankle.

The man with real concerns in Thomond Park on Saturday afternoon though was Dungannon coach Jeremy Davidson. The former Ireland second-row wasn’t for putting a tooth in his side’s display. “Very disappointed, we just didn’t turn up and Shannon were on fire.”

Scorers for Shannon: A. Thompson 16 (1T 1C 3P); C. McMahon, S. Cronin, A. Finn, 5 each (1T).

SHANNON: M. Lawlor; S. Kelly, A. Finn, J. Clogan, P. O’Connor; A. Thompson, F. McNamara; C. Costigan, S. Cronin, T. Buckley; P. O’Brien, F. Walsh; G. Noonan, C. McMahon (c), D. Quinlan.

Replacements: D. O’Donovan (Lawlor inj. 37); G. McNamara (Costigan inj. 56); J. Manuel (Clogan 60); TJ Murphy (Cronin 75); P. O’Connor (Noonan 75).

DUNGANNON: J. McGuckian; N. Patterson, P. Magee (c), G. Telford, M. Pehi; R. McCarter, J. Bates; G. Cinnamon, C. O’Kane, D. Fitzpatrick; S. McCarroll, R. Caldwell; A. Hughes, O. Hennessey, S. Lamb. Replacements: A. Larkin (Pehi inj. 47); J. Bell (McGuckin 47); G. Maxwell (Cinnamon 79); G. Kiely (O’Kane 79).

Referee: K. Henley (IRFU). Good job.