AIB League: Division 3 Round Up
Ballynahinch maintained their five-point lead at the top of the AIB League Division Three standings on Saturday as they ran five tries past Portadown for a 33-14 win at Chambers Park.
Daniel Soper’s ‘Hinch side claimed their ninth victory of the campaign as full-back Jonny Cullen, winger Aaron Ferris, centre Stuart Megaw and second rows John Gunson and Chris Napier shared out five tries. Soper, playing at number ten, banged over four conversions. Bruff maintained their good run in fourth place as they beat Ards 29-11 at Kilballyowen Park. In securing their fourth win in five games, the Limerick men scored four tries through winger Finbarr Hogan (2), centre Eoin Cahill and out-half Brian Cahill, with the latter adding three conversions and a penalty. Two tries from centre and captain Trevor Powell, who has now scored five times in ten league games, steered sixth-placed Nenagh Ormond to a 17-11 win in Connemara. Under the floodlights at Corinthian Park, Wanderers conjured up their eighth win in nine outings to beat Corinthians 21-3. The Dubliners had tries from prop Garreth Fitzgerald and full-back Damien Hunt. Rainey Old Boys proved too strong for Sunday’s Well at Musgrave Park as tries from centre Darryl Porter and hooker Damien Campbell, allied to 13 points from the boot of Michael Glancy, guided the Magherafelt men to a deserved 23-19 win. A man-of-the-match performance from full-back Stuart Wilson saw Banbridge pip Queen’s University 25-22 at Rifle Park. Bann, who have slipped from fourth to eighth place in recent weeks, were heavily reliant on Wilson who tallied up a devastating haul of two tries, two conversions and two penalties. Meanwhile, Old Wesley winger Brian O’Doherty nabbed his sixth league try as the Dubliners triumphed 21-3 at City of Derry, and at Shaw’s Bridge, Instonians’ third win on the bounce – a six-try 36-10 dismissal of Waterpark – moved them up to second in the table. Inst’s try scorers included winger Andrew Hassard, who bagged a brace, while prop Gary Mitchell, number eight Darren Lyttle, flanker Jamie Chapman and centre Eric Layard also got off the mark.
RESULTS:
Bruff 29 Ards 11
Connemara 11 Nenagh Ormond 17
Corinthians 3 Wanderers 21
Sunday’s Well 19 Rainey Old Boys 23
Banbridge 25 Queen’s University 22
City of Derry 3 Old Wesley 21
Instonians 36 Waterpark 10
Portadown 14 Ballynahinch 33