AIB League: Division Three Round-Up

The top six teams in AIB League Division Three all won at the weekend, meaning unbeaten duo Instonians and Clonakilty still lead the way at the summit.

AIB LEAGUE: DIVISION THREE: Saturday, January 14-Sunday, January 15

– RESULTS –

Banbridge 7 Instonians 35, Rifle Park; Clonakilty 26 Old Wesley 3, Shannonvale Cross; Corinthians 19 Bruff 20, Corinthian Park; Nenagh Ormond 29 City of Derry 23, New Ormond Park; Portadown 27 Connemara 16, Chambers Park; Queen’s University 10 Suttonians 15, Dub Lane; Skerries 33 Ards 6, Holmpatrick; Wanderers 33 Sunday’s Well 10, Lansdowne Road

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Leaders Instonians picked up their seventh win of the season and only their second bonus point as they ran five tries past Banbridge for a 35-7 derby victory at Rifle Park.

The first quarter was all Inst as they burst clear into a 21-0 lead thanks to tries from Brian Wallace (2) and Mark Broome – fly half Niall Malone added the extras to all three.

The hosts did get into it before the break – Andy Kennedy managed to cross the whitewash for Neville Farr to convert, but the score was, in effect, only cancelling out Inst’s fourth try which Mark Wilson had claimed, just minutes earlier.

Although Banbridge bossed much of the second half, the lively Malone was rewarded for an assured display when he intercepted a pass and ran 50 metres to touch down under the posts for the only score of the second 40.

Inst coach Clem Boyd told the Belfast Telegraph: “We’re happy with the win, we scored 28 points in the opening 20 minutes then we took our foot of the gas. Even at 28-7 it didn’t feel comfortable but the intercept try sealed it.

Second-placed Clonakilty also mustered a bonus point when beating Old Wesley 26-3 at Shannonvale Cross. Declan Coppinger (2), Noel O’Sullivan and Lenny Harte crossed for the Cork men.

Young fly half Richard McCarter was again to the fore for City of Derry, but not even his superb 18-point haul could help them from going down to third-placed Nenagh Ormond – 29-23 – at New Ormond Park.

The Tipp men dominated the first half, turning around with a 22-10 advantage. McCarter helped the visitors back into it by tallying up a try, two conversions and three penalties by the finish – adding to lock Brian Prue’s try. Nenagh’s tries came from Dennis O’Meara, Trevor Powell, Trevor Connolly and John Keehan.

Portadown leap-frogged Saturday’s visitors, Connemara, into thirteenth place thanks to a 27-16 defeat of the Galway men. Fly half Colin Lawson kicked five penalties and a conversion, with Nicky Jackson and Chris Holmes scoring the Ports’ tries.

Tries from scrum half Vinny Patton and hooker Anthony Ronan helped Suttonians pip Queen’s 15-10, and temproarily move up to fifth. The Dubliners lost both prop Ciaran Kavanagh and Ronan to the sin-bin in the second half, but managed to hold on for their fifth win of the campaign.

Skerries picked up only their second win in Division Three when tries from hooker David Garry, full-back David Walshe, winger Eddie Carraher, fly half Conal Keane and scrum-half Darryl Sheeran saw them run out easy 33-6 winners at home to Ards.

Ajay Derwin kicked two penalties in the first half for mid-table Ards.

The boys were disappointed after the game that they hadn’t finished them off but we are looking forward to getting back home and facing Portadown next week.”