Buccs Fall To Three-Try UCC
Bottom side Buccaneers were undone by UCC’s slick work at ruck time and superior finishing skills as the Cork students ended 2009 with a three-try 25-6 success at the Mardyke on Saturday.
AIB LEAGUE: DIVISION 1B: Saturday, December 12
UCC 25 BUCCANEERS 6, The Mardyke
Scorers: UCC: Tries: Ivan Dineen, Sean Scanlon, Brian Dennehy; Cons: Andrew Burke, Sean Scanlon; Pens: Andrew Burke 2
Buccaneers: Pens: Adam Kennedy 2
Backs Ivan Dineen, Sean Scanlon and Brian Dennehy crossed for tries, with former Ireland Under-20 out-half Andrew Burke kicking the rest of UCC’s points.
Beaten by Young Munster last weekend, the Cork students were keen to get back to winning ways but Buccs missed a number of gilt-edged scoring chances in the opening half.
Scrum half Adam Kennedy missed the posts with three penalty attempts before Burke nudged UCC ahead with a 26th minute penalty success.
Conor Twomey’s men then profited from a misplaced pass in the Buccs midfield as inspirational captain Dineen ran in an excellent try that Burke converted. It was Dineen’s second try in as many games.
Kennedy redeemed himself with a penalty before half-time and the place-kickers traded blows at the start of the second half, leaving it 13-6 to UCC.
Then full-back Scanlon, another former Under-20 international, scorched through on a superb counter attacking run for an unconverted try.
Scanlon took advantage of a serious of mismatches as he slalomed through from his own ten-metre line in the 59th minute.
Dennehy and Buccaneers prop Benny Gilligan both saw yellow for separate incidents and UCC put the game to bed when centre Dennehy thundered through for the clinching third try, with just three minutes left.
UCC: Sean Scanlon; Brian Derham, Ivan Dineen (capt), Brian Dennehy, Keith Buckley; Andrew Burke, Brian Slater; Gavin Duffy, Wayne Falvey, John Ryan, Phillie Donnellan, Mike Lenihan, Dave O’Callaghan, Shane O’Sullivan, James Ryan.
Replacements: Andrew Cudmore, Brian Cagney, Niall Barry, Darren McGrath, Ronan O’Sullivan.
BUCCANEERS: Conor Lavelle; John O’Brien, Brian O’Carroll, Paul Harte, Sean Stapleton; Alex Hayman, Adam Kennedy; Martin Staunton, Garrett Halligan, Conor Higgins, James Tormey, Padraig Burke, Colin Watters, Stephen Burke, Colm Rigney (capt).
Replacements: Benny Gilligan, Marcus Madden, Anthony Hughes, Gavin Kelly, Declan Byrne.
Referee: Barry O’Keeffe (IRFU)