Sport

Constitution well on top

It may have been a damp, dismal day at Temple Hill but Cork Constitution's first victory of the league campaign will provide …

Mon Jan 04 1999 - 00:00

It may have been a damp, dismal day at Temple Hill but Cork Constitution's first victory of the league campaign will provide some comfort for joint coaches Michael Bradley and Paul Derham.

This was a much better performance than in Constitution's games against Lansdowne and Young Munster, and also gave them two much-needed points.

A nine-point winning margin was no less than Constitution deserved on a day when Blackrock, without second rows Robert Casey and Hubie Kos in the starting line up, failed to reproduce the form displayed in their earlier games.

Constitution, in fact, gifted the visitors 12 of their 17-point total. Two ill-advised left-footed clearances by scrum-half Brian O'Meara let Blackrock in for two tries. Even so, Constitution had the power up front and the determination to stay in the driving seat. The back-row combination of Jerry Murray, Ultan O'Callaghan and David Corkery can take much of the credit.

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Constitution had the perfect start when Anthony Horgan gleefully gathered Alan McGowan's wayward clearance and ran 35 yards for a first-minute try. Brian Walsh scored an even better try in 26 minutes and after Aidan Guinan grabbed one for Blackrock, O'Meara nipped in for one to establish a 15-5 half time lead.

Corkery got the fourth nine minutes into the second half and while Ian McLoughlin narrowed the gap five minutes later, Ronan O'Gara kicked two penalties to ease his side into an unassailable lead.

Michael Roche took advantage of O'Meara's poor clearance in the 71st minute and McGowan converted but Blackrock had nothing more in reserve.

Cork Constitution: B Walsh; J Kelly, Cian Mahony, Conor Mahony, A Horgan; R O'Gara, B O'Meara; L Murray, J Fogarty, J O'Driscoll, D Sheehan, K Murphy, D Corkery, U O'Callaghan, J Murray. Subs: D O'Brien for Horgan (28 mins); J Canning for O'Callaghan (65); D O'Callaghan for Murphy (73); P McCarthy for O'Driscoll (77); O'Driscoll for Murray (80).

Blackrock College: T Keating; D Quinlan, E Robinson, M Roche, A Guinan; A McGowan, N Assaf; P Flavitt, S Byrne, L McLoughlin, L Cullen, J Ryan, R Wheeler, R Sommers, D Kennedy. Subs: R Casey for Sommers (50 mins); M Cuffe for Flavin (69).

Referee: D Tyndall (Leinster).