Shannon maintain summit pace

Shannon 20 Co Carlow 11

Shannon bolstered their home record to six league wins from six at Thomond Park this afternoon winning out on a two tries to one margin, 20-11 against mid-table Co Carlow.

The Limerick men maintained the one-point gap between themselves and leaders Cork Con, but the bonus point which would have seen them head the table eluded them as Carlow particularly impressed in the second half with Leinster and Argentine back Felipe Contepomi making his AIL debut.

Shannon winger Tom Cregan came into the game as Division One’s top points scorer on 109 points from just eight games started and he kicked the home side in front with a fifth minute penalty.

26-year-old Contepomi who would have been lining out for his contracted side Leinster this afternoon against Sale only from an administrative error, oddly enough levelled the game after 26 minutes with a 25 metre penalty just as Gary Ella’s charges took to the field against the Sharks in Edgeley Park.

The game looked to be a battle between the kickers until Shannon finally found some space out wide and Cregan finished off a move developed by out-half Andrew Thompson for the opening try on 39 minutes.

Cregan added the conversion to his fourth try in as many games, as the half ended 10-3.

Carlow, with usual out-half Ben Young slotting in at full-back to accommodate Contepomi, were dealt a hammer blow to their hopes of a second away win of the campaign when Shannon centre Eoin Cahill evaded the would-be tacklers for a try just a minute after the restart.

Cregan’s conversion put Shannon 17-3 in front and in search of the bonus point.

But credit to Springbok coach Dan van Zyl, his Carlow side came back with a second penalty for Contepomi half-a-minute later before Cregan finished off his afternoon’s tally of 15 points with a 30-metre penalty in the 50th minute.

Flanker Wesley Whitten picked up his second try in as many games for the visitors with five minutes remaining, but the comeback was beyond Carlow who sit in ninth.

Scorers: Shannon: Tries: Tom Cregan, Eoin Cahill; Con: Tom Cregan 2; Pen: Tom Cregan 2

Carlow: Try: Wesley Whitten; Pen: Felipe Contepomi 2