Con beat Dolphin in Cork clash

Dolphin 9 Cork Con 11

League leaders Cork Constitution, led by veteran flanker Jerry Murray, scored a derby success and a fifth win of the season in their sixth outing against Cork neighbours Dolphin at Musgrave Park.

John O’Mahony, scorer of over 1200 points in his AIL career and the leading points scorer in the current League at the start of play on 63, duelled it out with former Dolphin scrum-half Pat McCarthy, ironically second in the scoring stakes in 2003/4, for much of this game.

Indeed there was no score on the board until the 22nd minute when O’Mahony swept over a penalty from 30 metres for the lead.

McCarthy hit back eight minutes later before O’Mahony put the scores at 6-3 in favour of the home side at the break.

The crucial score and only try of the game came after 26 second half minutes with substitute prop Tom Ryan crossing for a deserved Con score in a scrappy second half.

McCarthy failed with his conversion attempt, but hit his second penalty of the game on 67 minutes, cancelling out an earlier effort from O’Mahony.

Dolphin’s O’Mahony had a chance to steal a one-point win in injury time, with a penalty from the left touchline, but it shaved the post.