AIB League: Division Two Round-Up

Terenure College will take in the festive break as leaders of AIB League Division Two after edging out Midleton 11-9 at Towns Park last Saturday.

AIB LEAGUE: DIVISION TWO: Saturday, December 10-Sunday, December 11

– RESULTS –

Bective Rangers 18 Ballynahinch 10, Donnybrook
Midleton 9 Terenure College 11, Towns Park
Old Crescent 28 Greystones 21, Rosbrien
Thomond 13 Old Belvedere 22, Liam Fitzgerald Park
UCC 21 Barnhall 11, The Mardyke
Waterpark 14 De La Salle Palmerston 17, Ballinakill
Young Munster 23 Malone 13, Tom Clifford Park

Sunday: Dolphin 34 Highfield 11, Musgrave Park

Leinster fly-half David McAllister kicked a crucial penalty and drop goal as ‘Nure remained at the top of the table. Centre Jeff Hitchmough struck three penalties for Midleton, but it was not enough as McAllister’s kicking prowess allied to a try from right winger Brian Flanagan the visitors secure their fifth win in six league outings.

At Donnybrook, Bective Rangers maintained their unbeaten record as their fifth victory in five games was chalked up against Ballynahinch. The Dubliners, placed fourth, begun in fine style to burst into a 13-0 lead after 13 minutes.

Fly-half Fergal Campion struck an early drop goal and penalty and then converted full-back Tommy Sheehy’s blistering try. Sheehy intercepted the ball on his own 22 and thundered towards the ‘Hinch line, just out-pacing the visitors’ scrum half Paul Marshall for the score.

‘Hinch replied on 21 minutes through a Ross Soper penalty and with Bective down to 14 men when flanker Mark Hennelly was sin-binned two minutes before the break, Willie Anderson’s side bagged a penalty try, converted by Soper, as the home pack wilted under scrum pressure.

Bective held onto their 13-10, staving off ‘Hinch’s territorial domination and made certain of the win in the last minute when right winger Johnny Hardy touched down.

Elsewhere on Saturday, there were home wins for Old Crescent (28-21 against Greystones) and UCC (21-11 against Barnhall). Old Belvedere and De La Salle Palmerston both won away against Thomond (22-13) and Waterpark (17-14) respectively.

Young Munster, meanwhile, remained second as they beat bottom side Malone – 23-13 – in Limerick, but they did not have it their own way.

A 35th-minute try from left winger James Amos helped Malone into a 10-3 lead but crucially Young Munster fly-half Mick Lynch shored up the gap by slotting a brace of penalties either side of the break. Munsters’ centre Clem Casey breached the visitors’ cover, eight minutes into the second half, for Lynch to convert his side into a 16-10 lead.

Malone’s Philip Coulter then landed a penalty but a try from Munster squad member Mike Prendergast, the man-of-the-match once again at scrum half, killed off the game as a contest.

On Sunday, Dolphin kept the pressure on the league’s top four by recording their fourth win – a 34-11 beating of Highfield at Musgrave Park. Centre Mike Kingsbeer scored two of their tries with back rows James Coughlan, the team captain, and Derek O’Riordan also off the mark.

Dolphin fly-half Barry Keeshan converted all four tries and added two penalties. Highfield’s points came courtesy of a try from Fergus Gateley and a penalty from fly-half Colin Mahony.