AIB League: Division Two Round-Up

Bective Rangers are the only side in AIB League Division Two with a 100% record after their hard-fought 15-7 win at De La Salle Palmerston last Saturday.

AIB LEAGUE DIVISION TWO: October 29-30

– RESULTS –

Ballynahinch 12 Old Crescent 8, Ballymacarn Park

Barnhall 13 Greystones 6, Parsonstown

DLSP 7 Bective Rangers 15, Kilternan

Highfield 14 UCC 20, Woodleigh Park

Malone 5 Midleton 17, Gibson Park

Old Belvedere 13 Terenure College 12, Anglesea Road

Thomond 12 Young Munster 12, Liam Fitzgerald Park

Waterpark 3 Dolphin 21, Ballinakill

At the other end of the table, Ballynahinch cranked it up in the second half at home to Old Crescent to claim their first win of the league season – 12-8.

Willie Anderson’s men were left trailing 8-0 at the break in wet and wild conditions at Ballymacarn Park. Crescent winger Emmett Dalton snapped up a loose ball to break free of the cover on 33 minutes and touch down for an unconverted try.

Full-back Altus Meyer added a penalty shortly before the break but an impish try from Hinch’s scrum-half Paul Marshall, four minutes into the second half off a five-metre scrum, handed the County Down club the impetus to win.

Prop Tim Morton was driven over on 70 minutes for number 10 Ross Soper to convert.

Malone, meanwhile, failed to put the points on the board that their early dominance against Midleton should have gained at Gibson Park.

The Cork visitors claimed a 17-5 win – their second of the season – to move up to fifth in the standings. Hooker David Lee scored a first half try for Midleton, who bossed the second half with full-back Jeff Hitchmough kicking three penalties and fly-half John Lillis landing a drop goal.

Malone substitute Dewett Bekker got in for their only score.

Division Three champions Greystones were edged 13-6 by Barnhall away. ‘Stones could only muster a penalty and drop goal from Kiwi fly-half Warren Edwards, while the Kildare men had the winning of the game through a Sam Darragh try and eight points from the boot of fly-half Eoin Hogan.

Terenure College lie second in the table, two points behind Bective, after a 13-12 loss at Dublin rivals Old Belvedere.

Terenure outscored their hosts on the try-count by two to one as both scrum-half Mark Mahony and right winger Brian Flanagan dotted down. But Belvo number 10 Richie Murphy, one of the most feared kickers across all three divisions, kicked two penalties and converted a try from captain and centre Dave Keogh for the narrow home win.

Elsewhere, UCC number 10 Evan Ryan turned in a man-of-the-match performance at Highfield as his haul of a try, two conversions and two penalties ensured the students a 20-14 win over their Cork neighbours.

Barry Keeshan kicked three penalties and a conversion in Dolphin’s 21-3 win at Waterpark. Donnchadha Murphy and James Coughlan scored the Dolphin tries.

On Sunday, Young Munster played out a 12-12 draw with Thomond to keep up the promotion pace in third place.