Division Three Glory For Clonakilty

…Clonakilty’s Gary Cribb and David Lombard celebrate at Lansdowne Road…

Out-half Gary Cribb kicked Clonakilty to their first AIB League Division Three title on Saturday as they held off a determined Suttonians side for a 19-12 final win.

AIB LEAGUE: Saturday, May 13

DIVISION THREE FINAL:

CLONAKILTY 19 SUTTONIANS 12, Lansdowne Road

Scorers: Clonakilty: Eoin Scannell; Con: Gary Cribb; Pens: Cribb 3; Drop: Cribb

Suttonians: Tries: Dara Mulligan, David Walsh; Con: Paddy Maguire

Cribb kicked 14 points – three penalties, a drop goal and a conversion of lock Eoin Scannell’s try to see the West Cork outfit to glory.

Clonakilty join last year’s winners Greystones as being the only clubs to have topped the table and won the play-off final since the Division Three play-offs were brought about in 2001.

Cribb missed an early shot at the posts but he right-footed over a brace of penalties on 10 and 20 minutes to stem the Clon nerves. His opposite number Paddy Maguire fell short with a 40-metre effort in between and it remained at 6-0 until four minutes before the break.

Clon failed to deal with an up-and-under and quick-witted winger Dara Mulligan raced onto the loose ball, kicking ahead and winning the race for the touch down – his fourth of the season. Maguire missed the conversion but the Dubliners were right back in it at 6-5.

Things got even better for the Vinny Patton-captained Sutton team when, early in the second half, full back David Walsh slalomed through for his fourth of the campaign which Maguire added the extras to.

But Clon, only in their fifth season in Division Three, had the stronger finish of the promoted duo. Scannell, such a giant in his side’s semi-final win over Bruff last weekend and voted man of the match in the decider, ran in behind the posts, on a pass from Cribb, for a neat reply on the hour mark.

Cribb converted and sealed an historic day for the Corkmen when he notched his third penalty and his his nerve for a late 30-metre drop goal – he had missed two attempts in the previous minutes.

CLONAKILTY: D Dillon (capt); J O’Donnell, P Dillon, D Lombard, N O’Sullivan; G Cribb, C Murphy; E Knowles, A Harte, J Knowles, D Whelton, E Scannell, M Keohane, L Harte, D Coppinger.

Replacements used: D Cookson for O’Donnell (42 mins), T Wright for Keohane (56).

SUTTONIANS: D Walsh; D Mulligan, R Murphy, M O’Shea, D Higgins; P Maguire, V Patton (capt); C Kavanagh, A Ronan, E Conroy, J Finucane, A Kearney, A Walsh, J Fagan, J Tainui.

Replacements used: J Walsh for D Walsh (61 mins), M Flood for Conroy (62), S Lewis for Maguire (71), N Hehir for Finucane (76).

Referee: Colin Stanley (IRFU)