Potts Eager For Mary’s To Maintain Winning Form
Head coach Ciaran Potts was not getting carried away with St. Mary’s third consecutive win in Division 1A of the All-Ireland League – a well-judged 29-6 triumph over Garryowen on home turf.
Darren Hudson and Mark Sexton scored a try apiece and in-form full-back Gavin Dunne booted the rest of the points – five penalties and two conversions – as St. Mary’s College saw off the challenge of Garryowen under the Templeville Road floodlights.
With his side now in third place in the table, St. Mary’s supremo Ciaran Potts said: “We are about where we should be. We had a bad start to the league with two losses. We’ve started to find a bit of momentum over the last month.
“Every team in the league will aim for the top three. Given the season we had last year, when we got to the final, it has given us more desire, more hunger this season. You don’t get ahead of yourself.
“You don’t say your goal is the final. Our goal is the top three again and we will take it from there.”
The Dubliners endured a difficult start to the league campaign with defeats to Old Belvedere (home) and Young Munster (away), but a record-breaking 53-0 thumping of Shannon got Potts’ men back on track.
“We lost our first two games. We were down in eighth. We have won our last three,” he added.
“We’re up to third, It is a forgiving league because each team has the ability to beat each other. It is just important when you get on a winning run, like we have, to keep it going.”
Understandably, Garryowen boss Paul Cunningham was not as upbeat as he contemplated seventh position in the table, one place above bottom club Shannon, with one win in five rounds.
“It was 23-3 by half-time with two tries off our own mistakes. It killed us. We can’t argue with that. St. Mary’s are a quality side,” he said.
“You have the Rhys Ruddocks of this world. Paul Nash, their captain, is a fine seven and Ian McKinley hurt us. He played extremely well from out-half.
“We played the game we wanted to play in the second half. We made chances. But, we didn’t take them.
“It is a very tight league. We have to be patient. There is a long way to go yet.”
Cunningham will want two big 80-minute peformances from his side when they host defending champions Cork Constitution next time out and travel to current leaders Old Belvedere on December 4.
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