Cregan steers Shannon to final

Shannon 27 Belfast Harlequins

Shannon ensured that Division One’s two most consistent sides will contest the top flight decider next Saturday in Lansdowne Road, as left wing Tom Cregan kicked fourteen points in their semi-final for the Limerick men over Belfast Harlequins.

Afterwards, Harlequins’ coach, a semi-finalist with Ballymena in 2000, noted that his side “had unfortunately left its worst display of the season for the semi-final stage.”

Belfast came into the game off the back of a 19-0 win over reigning champions Ballymena but only began to fire after skipper Rory Best had clambered over in the corner on 53 minutes.

Shannon’s experience at the business end of the season was noted in the early stages however, as they notched up a 15-0 lead in the first 18 minutes, without breaking a sweat.

Cregan punched over a 28-metre penalty in the eleventh minute – an incredible thirty-first penalty of the campaign for the number 11 – and two minutes later, off a scrum on the Shannon ’22, the home side nipped in for the first of two tries.

Harlequins’ scrum half Reece Spee tried an inside pop pass, but he found the hands of Shannon’s Brian Tuohy instead of a team mate, and the former UL Bohs centre, who made his league debut last November, sprinted the 80 metres to the Belfast line to gleefully touch down.

Cregan converted and added the extras to Munster wing Mossie Lawler’s fleet-footed try on the left flank, as Shannon pressed home their dominance.

All Bester’s charges could offer in reply was an Ajay Derwin penalty just past the half hour.

With full back John Lowe forced off with a shoulder injury, New Zealander Derwin kicked the Ulster men back to within nine points after the restart with a second penalty on 44 minutes, but missed a third attempt four minutes later.

A short Harlequins’ lineout saw hooker Best, awarded a full-time Ulster contract for next season, crash over in the corner, with Derwin reducing the deficit to 15-13 with an excellent conversion.

It was game on, but with 68 minutes, Shannon out-half and man-of-the-match Andrew Thompson dropped a cheeky goal, and with Cregan extending the lead with a hat-trick of penalties on 59, 63 and 72 minutes, Shannon were home and dry.

Scorers: Shannon: Tries: Brian Tuohy, Mossie Lawler; Con: Tom Cregan; Pens: Tom Cregan 4; Drop gl: Andrew Thompson

Belfast Harlequins: Try: Rory Best; Con: Ajay Derwin; Pens: Ajay Derwin 2