League leaders earn hard-fought win at Cork Con

CORK CONSTITUTION 14 GARRYOWEN 20

Garryowen determinedly held on for a gutsy win over fellow Division 1A heavyweights Cork Constitution at Temple Hill this afternoon.

One of the Light Blues’ promising Under-21 players, Geoff Ryan, stepped up to the mark with a 10-point contribution as he converted tries from Rory Brosnan and Ronan O’Mahony.

Cork Con came into this game with an unbeaten four-match run at home and they made the early running with Johnny Holland kicking two penalties.

Holland rifled over the first from 40 metres out and six minutes later, at the end of the first quarter, added a second as he judged the tricky cross-pitch wind.

Garryowen were quick to respond as they piled forward to force a five-metre lineout. Their combative forwards mustered a fine drive and powerful prop Brosnan finished off a pushover try which Ryan converted.

As Garryowen began to force the pace, they won a penalty outside the Constitution 22 and Ryan’s surefooted kick made it 10-6 for the visitors at the break.

Cork Con came out fighting on the second half, sweeping ahead thanks to a close-in try from Munster’s Ian Nagle who started in the second row alongside Philip Donnellan.

But with James Rael and Thomas Anderson standing out in the pack, the Light Blues barrelled forward to respond with their second try of this finely balanced encounter.

A lovely inside pass released full-back O’Mahony who hit the line at pace and burst through for a well-taken seven-pointer, converted again by Ryan.

Holland answered back with his third successful penalty to make it 17-14 but Ryan, filling in for Garryowen’s top points scorer Jamie Gavin, held his nerve to add a final three-pointer and guide Tom Tierney’s men to a hard-fought away victory.

The result though was not enough to keep Garryowen at the top of the Ulster Bank League table, as Lansdowne, courtesy of their bonus point defeat of Dolphin, have moved ahead on scoring difference.

Scorers:

Cork Constitution: Try: Ian Nagle; Pens: Johnny Holland 3

Garryowen: Tries: Rory Brosnan, Ronan O’Mahony; Cons: Geoff Ryan 2; Pens: Geoff Ryan 2

HT: Cork Constitution 6 Garryowen 10