CORK CLUB Dolphin were able to call on the Munster quality of backrowers Justin Melck and James Coughlan to help do what their more illustrious Munster colleagues Shannon couldn't do the week before in defeating leaders Clontarf 16-10 at Musgrave Park yesterday.
It was former Western Province Melck's first competitive match for Dolphin and he was a bruising presence along with Coughlan in the close-in skirmishes with ex-Ireland under-20 openside Barry O'Mahony stealing in for the decisive try in the 56th minute. Clontarf fullback Phil Howard salvaged a bonus point by racing over from the halfway line with six minutes remaining.
Shannon were pushed to the pin of their collar by high-flying St Mary's College in a dramatic 26-20 win that was sealed by outhalf Tadhg Bennett's block down and gather for a try at Coonagh.
It was a heartbreaking end for St Mary's who had the better of the opening exchanges to forge a 17-9 lead with tries from wing Conor McPhillips and centre Conor Donohue and the solid goal kicking of fullback Barry Lynn.
The home side then exploded into life as wings Richie Mullane and Marcus O'Driscoll crossed for tries in a tangible reward for the reliable work of their tight forwards before Bennett rounded off a personal tally of 16 points to move Shannon into joint-third alongside Dolphin.
UL Bohemian threw away a 19-11 lead gained from a try from centre Giles Boland and the sharp-shooting of Munster's Paul Warwick for a 25-19 loss when Cork Constitution twice broke away in the final eight minutes for sucker punches in the form of touchdowns from loose forwards Tom Gleeson and Billy Holland.
Blackrock have not yet fallen on the sword of inevitability with their young side still in the race for the play-offs by virtue of their 22-17 dousing of Old Belvedere at Anglesea Road on Saturday.
One victim of the cut-throat business of professional rugby, the former Leinster Academy wing Vasya Artemiev created the opportunity for another, Fergus McFadden, who has flourished in the system, to dispatch a match-winning penalty for UCD (19-18) against similarly relegation-threatened Terenure College in the last minute.
College jumped ahead of second-from-bottom Young Munster, who could do no better than a valiant 15-10 defeat on the road at Galwegians.
Garryowen maintained their push when Conor Kilroy kicked two of his four penalties in the second-half of a 26-19 win to keep Dungannon at arm's length. Buccaneers were gutted 21-17 by a late try from Ballymena scrumhalf Craig Woods under the floodlights at Dubarry Park.
How They Stand
PWDLFABPts
Clontarf 7601114782 26
Blackrock 75021641214 24
Shannon 74121721263 21
Dolphin 74031641265 21
Ballymena 7502131951 21
Cork Con 74031461094 20
Garryowen 74121471212 20
St Marys 74031341393 19
Galwegians 74031021161 17
Old Belvedere 73041171154 16
U.L Bohemian 73041141124 16
Dungannon 73041271612 14
Buccaneers 72051301455 13
UCD 7205781302 10
Y Munster 710672113 48
Terenure 710688193 26
