Cork Con Show Mettle To Overcome Gilvarry-Inspired Cookies

ENERGIA ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE MEN’S DIVISION 1A:

Saturday, November 29 –

YOUNG MUNSTER 26 CORK CONSTITUTION 29, Tom Clifford Park
Scorers: Young Munster: Tries: Hubert Gilvarry 3, Bailey Faloon; Cons: Shane O’Leary 3
Cork Constitution: Tries: Peter Hyland, Eoghan Smyth 2, Aidan Moynihan; Cons: Aidan Moynihan 3; Pen: Aidan Moynihan
HT: Young Munster 12 Cork Constitution 17

Cork Con were trailing by nine points with half-an-hour remaining, and were in danger of suffering a fourth Energia All-Ireland League defeat in a row. However, last season’s beaten finalists used their experience to dig out a crucial bonus point win.

David Begley’s sin-binning proved costly for Young Munster, as Eoghan Smyth and Aidan Moynihan both crossed before number 8 Kelleher came up with two important turnovers late on.

It was a gutwrenching finish for Munsters, whose livewire winger Gilvarry took his season’s haul to eight tries. They earned two bonus points for their efforts, while Jonny Holland’s men have closed the gap on fifth-placed Ballynahinch to a single point.

Gilvarry’s fizzing fourth-minute opener and a second try, in the 32nd-minute, landed some sizeable blows for Cookies, who had Munster’s Josh Wycherley, Conor Bartley, and Evan O’Connell in their tight five.

Constitution hit back with well-crafted converted scores from Peter Hyland (20 minutes) and excellent centre Smyth (36), with the recently-returned Moynihan kicking seven points for a 17-12 half-time lead.

This heavyweight Division 1A clash looked to be going the hosts’ way with Bailey Faloon burrowing over and Gilvarry completing his hat-trick from a superb interchange – Shane O’Leary added both conversions – until Con had other ideas.

Munster prop Wycherley made an early impact with a scrum penalty, and despite a pass going to ground, Gilvarry was quick with his pick-up. He brilliantly slipped past three defenders and stepped around Sean Condon to dive over in the left corner.

Wind-backed Cork Con were unable to capitalise on Matthew Bowen’s 50:22 kick, but they were gaining more of a foothold. The 20-year-old Smyth was punchy with his carries, and winger Condon had a fine high catch.

Moynihan kicked a penalty dead following good work in the scrum from Luke Masters, yet the home side conceded by the end of the opening quarter. Constitution generated quick ball off an advanced lineout, Condon and the forwards getting over the gain-line.

They kept coming hard around the corner, forcing Munsters back through multiple phases before openside flanker Hyland crashed over from Adam Maher’s snappy pass. Moynihan’s conversion split the teams at 7-5.

A couple of kicks from Bowen and Maher led to a frantic chase, the ball bouncing past Young Munster’s try-line before Kelvin Langan got back to touch it down. Moynihan slotted over a subsequent penalty, though, to make it a five-point margin.

Tricky winger Gilvarry drew a high tackle just past the half-hour mark, and the Cookies used the penalty to press for their second try. Faloon threatened off the lineout, before Gilvarry swept around to finish off some slick passing from Luke McCready and Langan.

Just when Young Munster looked to have gotten back on track, with O’Leary tagging on the conversion, Con, who had Munster’s Michael Foy returning from injury, fired back with a fantastic try at the end of a breathless passage of play.

The visitors exploited some space on the right, a great pass from Smyth allowing Rob Hedderman to release Condon on his wing. He made it up into the opposition 22, before finding Smyth on the inside to score. Moynihan added the extras.

Although Cork Con captain David Hyland came up with a terrific turnover penalty just before the interval, the Cookies were not to be denied early on the resumption. Again the lineout provided the platform, the forwards grinding down the defence before Faloon got the grounding.

O’Leary’s conversion edged Ger Slattery’s side back in front, before Con launched a thunderous response. Kelleher shrugged off two defenders on a surging break, only for the terrier-like John Poland to bring him down five metres short.

There was some daylight between these Munster rivals after Gilvarry struck again in the 52nd minute. Wycherley’s penalty at the breakdown got Munsters on the march, and the pace and passing skills of Shay McCarthy and Alex Flanagan Smith teed up their back-three colleague to extend the lead.

O’Leary nailed a high-quality conversion, opening up a 26-17 advantage, yet Con lifted their game in timely fashion. Their bench helped with the momentum shift, and when Sean French hurtled onto a pass, Begley’s high tackle landed him in the sin bin.

Kelleher’s bulldozing carry, off the subsequent lineout, saw him go close, but the Cookies could not hold out, out-half Moynihan sniping over from David Hyland’s peach of an offload to reduce the deficit to four points.

Holland’s charges made it four tries apiece soon after, again wearing down the Young Munster defence with string-pulling scrum half Maher at the heart of their smart attack.

He hung an inviting offload in the air, giving French the chance to put Smyth charging away to score from the edge of the hosts’ 22. When Begley returned to the pitch, Moynihan’s latest conversion had the Leesiders leading by three points.

The sides traded scrum penalties, either side of dangerous McCready break from deep. French swooped in for a vital interception that almost saw Con pick up an opportunist fifth try.

Turnovers proved to be Munsters’ downfall during the closing stages, as they made some encouraging incisions in attack. The best of them was a sweeping break involving speed merchant McCarthy and replacement Jake O’Riordan.

Much to the home crowd’s frustration, that hard work went unrewarded due to Kelleher’s hard-won turnover penalty inside his own 22. He repeated the trick close to the final whistle, clawing back possession near halfway to confirm Con’s return to winning ways.

TIME LINE: 4 minutes – Young Munster try: Hubert Gilvarry – 5-0; conversion: missed by Shane O’Leary – 5-0; 20 mins – Cork Constitution try: Peter Hyland – 5-5; conversion: Aidan Moynihan – 5-7; 26 mins – Cork Constitution penalty: Aidan Moynihan – 5-10; 32 mins – Young Munster try: Hubert Gilvarry – 10-10; conversion: Shane O’Leary – 12-10; 36 mins – Cork Constitution try: Eoghan Smyth – 12-15; conversion: Aidan Moynihan – 12-17; Half-time – Young Munster 12 Cork Constitution 17; 44 mins – Young Munster try: Bailey Faloon – 17-17; conversion: Shane O’Leary – 19-17; 52 mins – Young Munster try: Hubert Gilvarry – 24-17; conversion: Shane O’Leary – 26-17; 57 mins – Young Munster yellow card: David Begley; 58 mins – Cork Constitution try: Aidan Moynihan – 26-22; conversion: missed by Aidan Moynihan – 26-22; 63 mins – Cork Constitution try: Eoghan Smyth – 26-27; conversion: Aidan Moynihan – 26-29; Full-time – Young Munster 26 Cork Constitution 29

YOUNG MUNSTER: Shay McCarthy; Hubert Gilvarry, Shane O’Leary, Luke McCready, Alex Flanagan Smith; Kelvin Langan, John Poland; Josh Wycherley, Liam McMahon, Conor Bartley, Oran O’Reilly, Evan O’Connell, Alan Kennedy (capt), Ajae Hanson, Bailey Faloon.

Replacements: Stephen McLoughlin, Christian Foley, David Begley, Leo Langbridge, Jake O’Riordan, Harry Langbridge.

CORK CONSTITUTION: Rob Hedderman; Sean Condon, Sean French, Eoghan Smyth, Matthew Bowen; Aidan Moynihan, Adam Maher; Mark Donnelly, Billy Scannell, Luke Masters, Michael Foy, Cian Barry, David Hyland (capt), Peter Hyland, Jack Kelleher.

Replacements: Danny Sheahan, David Good, Mark Skelly, Richard Thompson, Ronan Byrd, Dylan Hicks.

Referee: Keane Davison (IRFU)