AIB League: Division Three Round-Up

Unbeaten sides Bruff, Clonakilty, Nenagh Ormond and Instonians lead the way in AIB League Division Three, in that order, following a low-scoring third week of action.

AIB LEAGUE DIVISION THREE: October 29-30

– RESULTS –

Ards 16 Portadown 10, Hamilton Park

City of Derry 6 Bruff 13, Judge’s Road

Nenagh Ormond 12 Corinthians 8, New Ormond Park

Old Wesley 0 Instonians 11, Donnybrook

Queens University 3 Clonakilty 15, Dub Lane

Skerries 3 Wanderers 19, Holmpatrick

Sundays Well 16 Connemara 17, Musgrave Park

Suttonians 5 Banbridge 6, John J McDowell Park

Limerick side Bruff, winners over Sundays Well and Old Wesley in the opening two weeks, broke free in the closing stages at Judge’s Road last Saturday to earn a 13-6 win over City of Derry.

Fly-half Brian Carroll landed two monster penalties in the final quarter to chalk up the visitors’ third win of the campaign.

Playing with the aid of the wind in the first half, Derry went 3-0 in front on the half-hour when a drive from captain and lock Bob McKillop saw Bruff stray offside and fly-half Richard McCarter kicked the resultant penalty.

Four minutes later, McCarter added a second for another Bruff offside. 6-0 is how it stayed until the 62nd-minute when Carroll pinged over a penalty and eight minutes later, the Limerick men were celebrating a converted try as a break from outside centre John Malone put back row Ione Sipa storming through at the posts.

Carroll converted and added a second penalty soon after to confirm Bruff’s superiority.

Clonakilty lie second – a point behind Bruff – after their 15-3 win kept Queens University rooted to the bottom of the table. Helped by the conditions in the first half, the Cork side were 15-0 up at the break.

Fly-half Gary Cribb opened the scoring from his third penalty attempt on 27 minutes and winger Noel O’Sullivan crossed for the opening try soon after. First half injury-time saw Clonakilty’s other winger Darragh Lynch make full use of a mix-up between the students’ right winger Blair Clements and number 10 Mel Ferry to run in a second try.

Queens full-back John Nicholl clipped over a second half penalty.

Third-placed Instonians, with their powerful pack on top at a damp Donnybrook, scored an 11-0 victory over Old Wesley.

All the scoring came in the first half as Inst fly-half Niall Malone kicked two penalties and just past the half-hour mark, winger Simon Gardiner, a late call-up for the injured Gareth McClintock, collected his own hack-on to score the game’s only try in the right corner.

Elsewhere, having been 16-0 in front, Ards held off a determined challenge from Portadown in the second half to win 16-10 at a wet and blustery Hamilton Park.

Loosehead prop Keith McIlwaine burst over for Ards’ sole try before the break. Fly-half Ajay Derwin converted, adding to his three earlier penalties. Scrum-half Craig Woods scored a try for Portadown, who are still without a win, in the second half which substitute Barry Gribben converted.

Gribben kicked a late penalty as Portadown gained their second losing bonus point of the campaign.

Saturday also saw wins for Wanderers, Banbridge and Connemara.

A late Fintan Whelan try almost spoilt Connemara’s first win of the season – a 17-16 success against Sundays Well. Home full-back Jonathan Lynch, who had kicked two earlier penalties, crucially missed the conversion despite a solid contact.

Connemara’s points came from tries from Alan Keogh, Gerry King and Gary Conroy. Alan King converted his brother Gerry’s try.

On Sunday, Nenagh Ormond, who only stepped up into the All-Ireland League this season, continued their unbeaten run with a 12-8 win against Corinthians.

The Tipperary men sit one point behind leaders Bruff after a first half try from centre Trevor Powell steered them to victory number three in senior league rugby.

Corinthians, whose points came from a JJ de Villiers try and Wayne Williams penalty, still lie sixth after their first defeat.