Dolphin end losing streak

Dolphin 27 Lansdowne 15

Third-from-bottom Dolphin moved up a place in the Division One table this afternoon as they comprehensively saw off the Lansdowne challenge at Musgrave Park, with record points scorer John O’Mahony kicking 17 with the boot.

Lansdowne had out-half Andy Tallon back after three months of injury but they were chasing the game from the off as Hamish Adams’ men raced into a 13-0 lead by the 25th minute.

Two O’Mahony penalties either side of left winger Philip O’Sullivan’s try on 18 minutes from a scissor move with Ireland U21 centre Andrew Finn saw Dolphin attain a healthy lead.

As is so often the case, Dolphin almost surrendered that advantage by the break, gifting Fiachra Baynes his first try and a conversion and penalty to Tallon before the returning out-half missed a late chance to equalise at 13-10.

It took 18 minutes of the second half before the next score and it was from the right boot of O’Mahony.

Another man returning to action, Dolphin centre Mike Manning, picked up his first try of the season and Dolphin’s 272nd in AIL history with nine minutes remaining to put the score at 24-15 before Lansdowne’s valiant attempts at rescuing a bonus point ended with a second try for Baynes just on the whistle.