Brave Dolphin hold off champs

AFTER a very productive first-half, Dolphin did their best to blow an 18 points lead as reigning AIB League champions Shannon piled on the pressure at Musgrave Park on Saturday.

To enhance an unbeaten division 1A record, the Cork side had to call on considerable defensive resources and, even then, a fair degree of good fortune as the champions scorned dead ball scoring opportunities.

On a blustery day, it wasn’t the perfect day for goal kickers but Barry Keeshan nailed his chances while David O’Donovan failed with most of his. In such a close encounter it was crucial to the outcome.

Dolphin’s coach Steve Ford admitted as much: “It was hair-raising at times in that second-half. I thought we played very well in the first-half, looked after the ball, our discipline was good and we put ourselves in a position to pull away. We didn’t do that in the second half, we let them back in and we were only hanging on at the end. We had possession but didn’t always take the right decisions. Still, there was some brave defence at times and it’s certainly a result I would have taken had I been offered it at the start of the season.”

But Ford was conscious of how easily it could have gone wrong and pointed to Shannon’s run of defeats. “They’ve lost all three by just one score; it shows just how little separates the teams in this division.”

Shannon captain Mossie Lawlor was hoping against hope that the tide would turn for his team, particularly after clawing their way back to 14-18 early in the second half.

“I suppose we only have ourselves to blame yet again. We gave them two soft scores in the first-half, including an intercept try. I thought we knuckled down fairly well given the position we were in and it’s disappointing that we weren’t able to sneak it; we certainly had the chances,” he said.

Dolphin had the perfect start; captain Barry Keeshan getting that intercept try he converted himself in the sixth minute. He went on to kick a penalty midway through the half and then watched as half back partner Sam Cronin started and finished a move to grab the second try, even if there was a strong hint that the number nine was offside from the perfectly-weighted kick ahead from winger Niall O’Driscoll. Keeshan went on to kick another penalty to give Dolphin a significant 18 points lead at the interval.

That was cut quickly when Stephen Kelly got in for a Shannon try six minutes into the second half and O'Donovan finally got his kicking boots in shape by converting; having earlier missed three penalty attempts.

David Quinlan gave Shannon a further boost after 12 minutes when he went in for a second try and O’Donovan converted, this time brilliantly, from the right hand touch line.

Shannon had the vast majority of play and territory after that; unfortunately, O’Donovan’s goal kicking wasn’t anything as good as was necessary. He missed two more chances and Dolphin took full advantage to hold out

DOLPHIN: N. Walley, N. O'Driscoll, D. Barnes, E. Moloney, P. Hurley, B. Keeshan (captain), S. Cronin, R. O'Neill, A. O'Driscoll, C. Condon, C. Rowe, F. Stone, R. Allen, N. Williams, B. O'Mahony.

Replacements: D. Nathan for A. O'Driscoll (55),T. Keogh for Stone (77)

SHANNON: M. Lawlor (captain), D. O'Donovan, M. O'Driscoll, A. Finn, S. Kelly, R. Mullane, R. Guerin, L. Hogan, B. Duggan, K. Griffin, P. O'Brien, F. Walsh, J. O'Connor, D. Quinlan, E. Grace.

Replacements: P. Butler for O'Connor (55),T. Bennett for Guerin (65)

Referee: D. Phillips (IRFU)