Shannon take spoils at Anglesea Road
Old Belvedere 13 Shannon 15, Anglesea Road
AIB League veteran Andrew Thompson kicked Shannon to an opening day 15-13 win at Anglesea Road against a battling Old Belvedere side.
Having conceded 139 points in their three previous Division One clashes with Shannon, Belvedere kept things tight and they held a deserved 10-6 lead at half-time.
Prop Brad Koseās try was converted by Richie Murphy, to add to his eighth-minute penalty.
However, Thompson kicked three penalties after the break to complete a 15-point haul for himself and secure an encouraging victory for the Limerick men.
In what was Shannon's first league visit to Anglesea Road since February 1998, both sides missed early place kicks before Murphy, Leinster's Elite Player manager and current "A" team coach, found his range in the eighth-minute.
Thompson matched him at the other end, three minutes later, and Shannon moved 6-3 ahead in the 28th-minute before a sustained spell of pressure resulted in Kose being fed for a try in the left corner which Murphy converted.
Shannon found an extra gear for the early part of the second half with Thompson bisecting the posts after 42 and 46 minutes for a 12-10 buffer.
On the hour mark, Murphy kicked a lovely drop goal for Belvedere to reassume the lead. Then Shannon scrum half Fiach O'Loughlin, who was playing in his first league game since returning from Clontarf in the summer, and Belvedere winger Kevin Barden were both banished to the sin bin for fighting.
Shannon seemed to cope better with the loss and a well-hit 68th-minute penalty from Thompson proved to be the match-winning score as Shannon won for the 150th time in the AIB League. The result also marked the Limerick club's 30th win in 40 league games in Leinster.
Scorers: Old Belvedere: Try: Bradley Kose; Con: Richie Murphy; Pen: Richie Murphy; Drop: Richie Murphy
Shannon: Pens: Andrew Thompson 5
HT: Old Belvedere 10 Shannon 6
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
