Garryowen move second with victory

Buccaneers 18 Garryowen 27

Garryowen made it a Limerick one-two at the top of the AIB League Division One, as Ray Niland and Alan Purcell grabbed tries in their 27-18 defeat of Buccaneers at Crowley Park.

The Dooradoyle men picked up their second win of 2005 as Purcell picked off a haul of 14 points for their fifth win of the campaign.

The game was tightly poised at the break, with Paul Cunningham's visitors 13-8 in front. Garryowen raced into a 13-0 lead as centre Niland raced clean through for his fifth try of the season inside the first 10 minutes.

Two penalties from scrum-half Gerry Hurley, who was replaced at half-time by Munster's Mike Prendergast, gave them a handy advantage. Former Athlone skipper Marcus Madden gave the Pirates hope with a well-taken try, and the first of Justin Meagher's two penalties had them only five points adrift.

On the restart, Meagher kept Buccs in touch with another penalty, added to back row Adrian Hanley's chargedown try, but Garryowen pulled into the distance as Purcell pumped over three penalties.

The fly-half's try at the finish only rubbed salt into the westerners' wounds.

Scorers: Buccs: Tries: Adrian Hanley, Marcus Madden; Con: Justin Meagher; Pens: Meagher 2

Garryowen: Tries: Ray Niland, Alan Purcell; Con: Gerry Hurley; Pens: Hurley 2, Purcell 3