Division Two Final Champions: Dolphin secured bragging rights for the close season when outhalf John O'Mahony, one of only four players to break 1,000 points in the AIL, stroked over three late penalties to add the Division Two championship to their more important promotion at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.
These two vied for supremacy throughout the season and their league collision was inconclusive, ending in a 16-all draw. Dolphin were a shade more consistent and that made all the difference, but Crescent would have seen themselves as a team of superior fire-power.
In truth, they probably have a case. In half backs Mike Mullins and Eoin Reddan and former DLSP centre Shane Stephens they have the three most potent running players in the division. Dolphin knew they had to stifle them at source.
And how they relished the task. Number eight James Coughlan was the best player on the pitch by a country mile, even though blindside Shane Madigan, valiant though he was, was voted "man of the match".
It was a jittery opening quarter, Mullins was uncharacteristically careless in his handling and Dolphin swept to a 10-0 lead courtesy of O'Mahony's kicking and loosehead Eddie Knowles's 11th minute try. Jay Cusack's opportunistic response was made redundant by captain Dave Pomeroy's grinding forward try in the 25th minute.
Another O'Mahony penalty was followed by an inspired period of pressure rugby from Old Crescent. Mullins was switched to the centre and his long passing began to bring the wide men into the game. Replacement prop Philip O'Connor and Stephens, relocated to the left wing, smashed through for tries.
It looked as though a grandstand finish was on the cards, but Dolphin had an ace up the sleeve - the right boot of O'Mahony. Three times, he stood over crucial kicks and, three times, he sent the ball between the posts. It was a sickening sight for Crescent.
Scoring Sequence: 5 mins - J O'Mahony pen 3-0; 11 mins - E Knowles try, O'Mahony con 10-0; 14 mins - J Cusack try, E Reddan con; 25 mins - D Pomeroy try, O'Mahony con 17-7 half-time; 43 mins - O'Mahony pen 20-7; 54 mins - P O'Connor try, Reddan con 20-14; S Stephens try 20-19; 72 mins - O'Mahony pen 23-19; 79 mins - O'Mahony pen 26-19; 84 mins - O'Mahony pen 29-19.
DOLPHIN: D Keeshan; M Knowles, B O'Neill, M Manning, D Whelan; J O'Mahony, D O'Mahony; E Knowles, D O'Farrell, J O'Sullivan, D Pomeroy, R McGrath, S Madigan, D Murphy, J Coughlan. Replacements: D O'Callaghan for D O'Mahony 50 mins; K Murphy for Manning 58 mins; G Baylor for O'Farrell 71 mins; T Fihann for Whelan 74 mins.
OLD CRESCENT: J Cusack; A O'Loughlin, S Stephens, M Brodie, F Hogan; M Mullins, E Reddan; S Murphy, L Browne, J Cullinane, I Bloomer, P Ryan, D O'Malley, D McDonagh, M T'Pau. Replacements: P J McLoughlin for O'Loughlin 34 mins (temp); for Hogan 49 mins; C Reddan for Ryan 44 mins; P O'Connor for Murphy 46 mins; B Leahy for Browne 76 mins.
Referee: D Courtney (Leinster Branch).
