Tries flurry sees Shannon through

Lansdowne 13 Shannon 29

Shannon have joined Limerick rivals Garryowen at the top of the AIB League Division One table thanks to a four-try 29-13 win over Lansdowne on headquarters' back pitch.

Tries from Mark Tuohy, Tom Cregan, Padraig O'Brien and Fiach O'Loughlin handed the champions their first bonus point of the season and drew them level on nine points with Garryowen - ahead of next Sunday's grudge meeting at Thomond Park.

Returning Lansdowne fly-half Andy Tallon kicked the home side into a third minute lead with the first of two penalties, but well-worked Shannon scrum seven minutes later saw Tuohy put in at the left corner.

Cregan missed the conversion but notched a 24th minute penalty, cancelled out by Tallon two minutes before the break, for a narrow 8-6 half time lead.

Mick Galwey's side stepped it up after the restart as a searing Tuohy break set Cregan, last season's top points scorer, up for a touch down four minutes in.

On 52 minutes Shannon went further in front as Eoin Cahill found O'Brien - a son of Ireland team manager Brian O'Brien - at his shoulder for the visitors' third.

Three minutes later O'Loughlin made sure of the bonus-point win as he crossed the whitewash from 35 metres out. Cregan converted, but with Shannon's foot off the gas a smartly-taken lineout on 79 minutes saw scrum-half Shane Whelan in for Lansdowne's first try of the season.

Brian O'Mahony, who kicked a late drop goal in Lansdowne's 28-20 defeat of Shannon in February 2003, converted but it mattered little.

Scorers:

Lansdowne: Try: Shane Whelan; Con: Brian O'Mahony; Pens: Andy Tallon 2

Shannon: Tries: Mark Tuohy, Tom Cregan, Padraig O'Brien, Fiach O'Loughlin; Cons: Tom Cregan 3; Pen: Tom Cregan