Garryowen hold off Carlow charge

Garryowen 15 Co Carlow 14

Garryowen held off a late charge by visitors Co Carlow in this mid-table duel, with a try by Munster U21 back row Anthony Kavanagh shortly after half time the deciding score in a 15-14 win at Dooradoyle.

The home side extended their lead over eighth-placed Carlow to five points in the Division One standings at the finish, with a deserved fifth consecutive win.

In fact coming into such good form at the tail end of the season must be frustrating for the Limerick men, who were 11 points shy of the play-offs.

Outside centre Clem Casey struck for the second consecutive game, having scored Garryowen’s only try in the Munster Senior Cup final defeat to Shannon last Sunday, and his opening try on 18 minutes was soon bolstered by a conversion and sharp penalty from out-half Alan Purcell.

The home side’s lead was cut to just three points by the half time whistle however as Mark Buckley broke free of the Garryowen tacklers to score with four minutes remaining in the first half.

The right wing’s third try in two games gave the Oak Park men a degree of confidence and they took the lead on 46 minutes when left wing Maurice Logue was put over by South African scrum half Dan van Zyl for his eighth try of the season.

The lead lasted all of six minutes as Kavanagh touched down for his second in three games, and although it went unconverted from the right touch line, Garryowen held out for their eighth league win.