AIB League: Division Two Round Up
Belvo look set fair to add the Division Two title to their Leinster Senior Cup as they went ten points clear of nearest rivals Greystones on Saturday.
Old Belvedere went ten points clear at the top of the Division Two table when they defeated Greystones, in second place, 16-15 at Dr Hickey Park.
Belvo beat their hosts thanks to tries from Leinster lock Richie Leyden and the province’s back-up out-half Andy Dunne, who also slotted over a penalty.
Former Leinster ace Richie Murphy, the Belvo player-coach, tagged on a drop-goal, marking ‘Stones’ sixth loss at the hands of the Dubliners in seven league meetings. However, the Wicklow men do currently have two games in hand on the table-toppers.
In a match that doubled up as a league game and Dudley Cup fixture, UCC emerged as 13-6 winners over Dublin University at the Mardyke.
The Cork students maintained their fifth-place position as Munster Academy flanker Barry O’Mahony burst over for the only try of the game. Munster out-half Jeremy Manning converted and kicked two penalties.
At the other end, Trinity’s Johnny Watt landed two penalties to take his tally for the league run to 103 points.
At Tom Clifford Park, Young Munster winger Darren Classens bagged his
seventh try in ten league games but could not stop his side from losing 19-15 to visitors Highfield.
Munsters slipped up against the Model Farm Road men, who had a try from last season’s captain Neil O’Donovan and a 14-point kicking haul from Munster scrum half Brian O’Meara.
Old Crescent, who now sit in eleventh, ended a run of four straight defeats as they beat County Carlow 10-9 at Rosbrien, with flanker Paul Glamuzina scoring the game’s only try. Out-half Greg Jacobs booted three penalties for the visitors to hit the 100-point mark for the season.
At the business end of the table, Barnhall and Clonakilty reside in third and fourth place respectively. Barnhall joined Greystones on 30 points as they dominated hosts Midleton in a 43-11 win at Towns Park.
The Blue Bulls made it three wins on the bounce as flanker Riaan Erasmus and backs Cathal Connolly, Paul Burke (2), Gareth Brown and Brian O’Friel shared out six tries in a comprehensive victory. Out-half Connolly finished with a personal haul of 18 points as he flashed over five conversions and a penalty also.
Clonakilty’s 23-10 win over De La Salle Palmerston was teed up by goal-kicking hooker Alfie Harte’s haul of a try, a conversion and two
penalties. The Cork side’s 90th AIB League fixture saw them maintain their unbeaten record at home this season in the competition.
Elsewhere, Bective Rangers squeezed past Malone, 13-11, at Donnybrook with flanker Mark Hennelly grabbing their crucial second try, while Suttonians, watched by their captain Dave Walsh who is still out with a groin injury, return to winning ways against Thomond at the JJ McDowell Grounds.
The Sutton outfit, who move up two places to seventh, claimed a 26-8 success with number 10 Paddy Maguire accumulating a try, two conversions and two penalties. Scrum half Vinny Patton, who was last season’s skipper, claimed a try and a drop-goal and winger Darragh Mulligan also pinged over a drop-goal.