AIL League Division One / St. Mary's College 13 Garryowen 13: The AIB League Division One stuttered into life at Templeville Road on Saturday, in a contest that initially tantalised with a bright opening only to degenerate into a morass of errors.
Garryowen's excellent full back Mark Connolly grabbed the first try on two minutes following a clever chip by Alan Purcell.
St Mary's responded with a fine individual effort by Clinton Hall, the full back stepping past several tacklers en route to the line. Barry Lynn converted and when he and Connolly exchanged penalties by the 15th minute to leave the home side leading 10-8, it augured well for a tense encounter.
So it transpired but that was largely because Mary's were unable to deliver on the possession they enjoyed for pretty much the next 50 minutes. Towards the end of the first half and the opening 20 minutes of the second, they dominated territorially but despite several decent opportunities, managed to muddle away one chance after another. The only tangible reward was a Lynn penalty.
A gradual realisation by the Limerick club that they could not only survive but win the match saw them wrest the initiative. Their driving maul from lineouts had been a huge yardage earner for most of the match and it was to provide the platform for their second try on 74 minutes.
Mary's initially repulsed the first surge from a lineout eight metres out but Garryowen regrouped and their second drive was tighter, more precise, and culminated in replacement number eight Eoin Kelly being driven over the line.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 2 mins: Connolly try, 0-5; 5 mins: Hall try, Lynn conversion, 7-5; 9 mins: Connolly penalty, 7-8; 15 mins: Lynn penalty, 10-8; 40 (+4) mins: Lynn penalty, 13-8. Half-time: 13-8. 74 mins: Kelly try, 13-13.
ST MARY'S COLLEGE: C Hall; G Ingles, B Lynn, C Fifield (capt), D Lyons; F Lynch, P Caldwell; B Moran, M Duggan, D Clare, P Sullivan, J Ellis, W Duggan, C Potts, N Smith: Replacement: C Connolly for Lynch (9 mins).
GARRYOWEN: M Connolly; G Conway, C Casey, K Hartigan, A McNulty; A Purcell, B O'Brien; R Callaghan, B Cantrell, J Staunton, S Leahy, D Sheahan, C Hartigan (capt), F McKenna, E Nihill. Replacements: E Kelly for McKenna (40 mins); A O'Sullivan for O'Brien (50 mins); R Laffan for Staunton (50 mins).
Referee: C Beverland (Ulster).
