Shannon go top after beating St Marys

Shannon 16 St. Mary’s College 3

Shannon are temporarily top of the Division One table after making a one-man advantage pay against St. Mary’s.

The champions dominated this Thomond Park affair but it was not until the visitors had back row Willie Duggan sin-binned on 61 minutes that they began to pull away.

The sides were level at 3-3 at the break after Jonathan Sexton and Tadhg Bennett had swapped penalties.

Shannon prop Les Hogan, who was binned in the first half, turned hero as with Mary’s down to 14 men, he barged over for the clinching try after runs by Mossie Lawlor and Andrew Finn.

Scorers: Shannon: Try: Les Hogan; Con: Tadhg Bennett; Pens: Bennett 3 St. Mary’s: Pen: Jonathan Sexton