Early try sets up UL/Bohs for narrow victory
UL/Bohs, who now go forward to a second-round meeting with Young Munster, capitalised impressively on that early try by Aherne, a valued member of the Ireland Sevens squad, to edge home by five points although they had to withstand strong pressure from the Tipperary side in the dying minutes.
Aherne’s try was converted by Rick McKenna and proved just about enough to keep Cashel at bay in a game that rose above the dreadful conditions to provide entertainment for the small crowd.
A McKenna penalty moved Bohs 10-0 in front after 38 minutes but in first-half stoppage time, replacement Brendan O’Connor forced his way over for a Cashel try following a line-out maul. Tom McHale’s conversion attempt came back off an upright but the young full-back found the target with a penalty to reduce his side’s arrears to two points just after the restart.
Both sets of forwards performed heroically as the rain lashed down but Bohs enjoyed a slight edge and another McKenna penalty moved them 13-8 ahead midway through the half. That’s the way it remained to the finish with Cashel very much on the offensive.
A Rossiter; C Ryan, C Aherne, S Stirling, R White; R McKenna, C Millar; P King, P Dowling, M Lynch, J Codyre, D Frawley, N Kinnane, I Condell, B Walsh. Rolling replacements – J Bennett, C Welles, J McManus, J Murray, B Bolger, R Burke.
T McHale; E Connolly, B Silke, P O’Connor, G Ryan; O McGlinchey, A Barron; C O’Donnell, R Coates, J Tierney, A Sweeney, S O’Connor, K Leamy, B McLoughlin, E Leamy. Rolling replacements - C O’Donnell, N Fitzgerald, T Allen, B O’Connor, P O’Connor, A Wallace, E Laffan.
