AIB League: ‘Stones Chalk Up First Win

Greystones ran in five tries at home to Ballynahinch on Saturday to chalk up their first win since earning promotion back to AIB League Division Two.

AIB LEAGUE DIVISION TWO: Saturday, October 22

Bectiver Rangers 13 Thomond 3, Donnybrook

Greystones 38 Ballynahinch 14, Dr Hickey Park

Midleton 19 Highfield 12, Towns Park

Old Belvedere 20 Dolphin 24, Anglesea Road

Old Crescent 31 Malone 8, Rosbrien

Terenure College 6 Barnhall 3, Lakelands Park

UCC 27 DLSP 22, The Mardyke

Young Munster 24 Waterpark 9, Tom Clifford Park

The Wicklow side’s attack was as fluid as it was throughout last season’s run to the Division Three title as ‘Hinch were hockeyed at Dr Hickey Park.

The visitors from the north did take a ninth-minute lead through a penalty from Ross Soper, but ‘Stones hit back almost immediately with a try, worked through five pairs of hands, for right winger Stuart O’Connell.

Fly half Warren Edwards missed the conversion but landed a subsequent penalty and there were further counter-attack tries from full-back Dave McKechnie and centre Simon Malone. ‘Hinch, though, brought it back to a 20-14 game just before half-time as number 10 Soper thumped over two penalties and a stunning line break by scrum half Paul Marshall sent Jamie Meaklim scurrying over for the visitors’ second converted try.

Tellingly, ‘Stones added their bonus point try in first half injury-time from O’Connell and Edwards managed the conversion too. Flanker Simon Abbott scored the home side’s fifth on the restart and two Edwards penalties help end the game as a contest.

Malone, unchanged from last week’s win over Greystones, slipped to 14th in the table as Old Crescent picked up their first win of the league campaign – 31-8 at Rosbrien.

The Limerick men pegged back an early Thomas Horner penalty with one of their own from Brian Begley and home flanker Mark Ryan’s first half injury-time try, which full-back Altus Meyer converted, was a sign of times to come in the second half from Crescent.

Meyer, Niall O’Brien and Mark Aylor grabbed tries in the second half with Meyer converting all three. Malone captain Darren Barbour also got in for a late consolation try.

Terenure College continue to lead the way at the top of the table. The Dubliners dogged out a 6-3 victory over Barnhall. Centre Dave McAllister and fly half Conor Gildea kicked the two crucial penalties at Lakelands Park.

Back row Damien Hall scored the only try as Bective Rangers beat Thomond 13-3 at Donnybrook. The win, Bective’s seconds, sees them sit a point behind Terenure at the top with Young Munster – 24-9 winners over Waterpark – in third.

Of the chasing pack, fifth-from-bottom UCC got back to winning ways at the Mardyke. Munster’s young Kiwi fly half Jeremy Manning kicked two conversions and a penalty as tries from full-back Denis Hurley, second half back row replacement Barry O’Mahony and centre Alex Kelleher helped the students to a hard-fought 27-22 success over DLSP.