Shannon temporarily top

Galwegians 14 Shannon 15

Young lock Padraic O’Brien came off the bench to score a vital try for champions Shannon in their 15-14 defeat of Galwegians at Crowley Park.

O’Brien’s 65th-minute score helped chalk up Shannon’s eighth straight win in the league and move them temporarily top of the table, with UL Bohemians playing Clontarf tomorrow afternoon.

Galwegians were unfortunate to be 10-7 down at the break after centre Anthony Barrett’s 20th-minute try. A 40-yard lineout maul from the visitors saw hooker Sean Cronin touch down with out-half Tadhg Bennett kicking five points.

A penalty try, after winger Kieran Hickman had been impeded, sent ‘Wegians back in front on the hour but O’Brien plunged over soon after to preserve Shannon’s winning record.

Barrett crossed the Shannon whitewash just as the first quarter came to an end. A break on the left, which saw exciting South African winger Colin Nbongwa cut in from his wing station, opened up enough space for Barrett to nip through and score. Paddy O’Toole converted.

Shannon replied with a 29th-minute penalty from Tadhg Bennett, who won an All-Ireland Under-20 title with Shannon last term and who was filling in for league veteran Andrew Thompson at number 10.

Cronin’s try, which showed how pivotal that lineout maul is to Shannon’s play, gave Mick Galwey’s men a flattering three-point lead at half-time.

‘Wegians’ gameplan of taking Shannon on the fringes proved all wrong in the second half as the visitors’ ball-carrying forwards, like Cronin and back rows Colm McMahon and David Quinlan, came to the fore.

It did look good for a time for ‘Wegians when their penalty try, converted by O’Toole, put them 14-10 ahead. Thompson, on from the bench, then hit a penalty off the post as Shannon looked to be stuttering.

The Galway side’s lead was just too slim however, and another lineout-inspired attack led to O’Brien’s try.

‘Wegians battled on and should have retaken the lead but centre Nick Wakley contrived to miss a difficult penalty, into the wind, and also send an injury-time drop goal shot wide of the uprights.

Incredibly, the win maintains Shannon’s record of only ever having lost once in the league out west – to Buccaneers in April 2003.

St. Mary's College 12 Garryowen 8, Templeville Road

Scorers: St. Mary’s College: Pens: Jonathan Sexton 3; Drop: Sexton

Garryowen: Try: Conor Kilroy; Pen: Kilroy

St. Mary’s College reclaimed the Shay Deering trophy, which is named in memory of the former Leinster, Munster and Ireland back row, as Jonathan Sexton put on a kicking masterclass in their 12-8 win over Garryowen.

At Templeville Road, the Ireland Under-21 out-half landed three penalties and a drop goal to help Mary’s up to fifth in the standings.

Garryowen full-back Conor Kilroy slipped through two tackles to grab the game’s only try midway through the first half, but Mary’s still led 9-5 at the break.

Sexton added to his penalty haul by dropping a superb goal on 55 minutes, just after a Kilroy penalty, and the Dubliners held on to record their sixth win in 17 league meetings with Garryowen.

Garryowen should have made more use of their first half wind advantage but could not break down a stubborn Mary’s defence. A 30-metre penalty from Sexton was the only score of a first quarter that was dominated by solid tackling.

The clever running of Kilroy prized open the home side’s defence on the 29-minute mark, but the conversion attempt proved too much for the former Blackrock College back.

Sexton then replied as Garryowen’s forwards infringed twice in quick succession and the Leinster Development-contracted player, with two shots right in front of the posts, easily converted those penalty chances on 36 and 38 minutes.

Another spell of Garryowen dominance up front was weathered by Mary’s before Kilroy landed a 51st-minute penalty. Incredibly, Sexton’s drop goal, which took his tally as Division One’s top scorer to 42 points in three outings, was the game’s last score.

Garryowen managed to camp themselves on the Mary’s line for the last five minutes, but every attack was repelled and with that, the Limerick men handed back the Deering trophy to the Dubliners, who were claiming only their fifth win in the 17th edition of the annual fixture.

Scorers: Galwegians: Tries: Anthony Barrett, Penalty try; Cons: Paddy O’Toole 2

Shannon: Tries: Sean Cronin, Padraic O’Brien; Con: Tadhg Bennett; Pen: Tadhg Bennett