Superb start for Dolphin’s young guns

ULSTER BANK LEAGUE:

The score demonstrated the difference between the sides with Dolphin running in three tries of the highest quality and claiming a fourth from a penalty try awarded by referee George Clancy that reflected the edge they held at the set piece.

Dooradoyle had been a particularly inhospitable venue for visiting Dolphin sides over the years. This was their first AIL win there over Garryowen and even though they trailed 13-11 five minutes into the second-half, there rarely seemed any doubt they would eventually make their supremacy in every sector pay a rich dividend.

“To leave here with a bonus point is absolutely fantastic and I feel we deserved it,” said Dolphin coach Steve Ford. “We are in a good place at the moment and have a good squad, a point well made today by the absence of some of our more experienced players like Christy Condon and Barry Keeshan.

“We were thrilled at the way young Rory Scannell took over from Keesh at out-half and his try was a superb effort, while John Fitzgerald in the back-row also made a huge difference. Our aim was to build a squad that would withstand the absence of a few injured players and I feel we have that depth. We have the potential to score points and teams will have to work to beat us.”

Dolphin took a grip on the proceedings in the first half hour with a couple of penalties by Rory Scannell and a try after a counter attack started and finished by full-back Eamonn Mills. Garryowen hit back before the interval with a try by wing Andrew O’Byrne converted by Jamie Gavin who then put them ahead with two penalties within ten minutes of the restart.

However, a penalty try converted by Scannell quickly restored Dolphin’s advantage at 18-13 and after that they were in total control. The powerful running of three-quarters Cian Bohane and Eric Moloney was a constant threat to a shaky Garryowen defence but Scannell stole the show with a magnificent scything run that split the home defence for a try that he converted himself. And the bonus point duly came in the 73rd minute when James Kiernan finished off another glorious Dolphin attack when he dived over in the right corner.

DOLPHIN: E Mills; C Bohane, S Hansell, E Moloney, D Sweetnam; R Scannell, C O’Keeffe; B Scott, N Scannell, P Ryan, C Herlihy, D O’Shea, D O’Callaghan, M Cronin, J Fitzgerald.

Rolling replacements: W Foley, J Leahy, D O’Mahony, C Bannon, J Kiernan.

GARRYOWEN: R O’Mahony; J McInerney, H McNulty, C Doyle, A O’Byrne; J Gavin, N Cronin; R Brosnan, E Rossiter, JP Cooney, M Tweddle, A McCluskey, M Hanrahan, A Kavanagh, S Buckley.

Rolling replacements: JM Griffin, P O’Shea, E Fitzgerald, L Bourke, A Maughan.

Referee: G Clancy (IRFU).