AIB League: Lansdowne End Barren Spell

Lansdowne hooker Kevin Corrigan in action against UCD last season

Lansdowne ended a three-game losing streak in Division One by coming from behind to beat St Mary’s College 16-8 at Templeville Road on Saturday.

AIB LEAGUE: DIVISION ONE: Saturday, December 10

ST MARY’S COLLEGE 8 LANSDOWNE 16, Templeville Road

Scorers: St Mary’s: Try: Philip Brophy; Pen: Jonathan Sexton

Lansdowne: Try: Kevin Corrigan: Con: Corey Burt; Pens: Burt 3

Hooker Kevin Corrigan was lurking unmarked out on the right wing, two minutes into injury-time, to collect a Corey Burt chip kick and score what was effectively the match-winning try. Kiwi fly-half Burt rubbed salt into Mary’s wounds when he dinked over the conversion to rob them home side of a bonus point.

Mary’s, ironically unbeaten in their three previous games, looked on course for their fourth victory as they led 5-3 at the break thanks to full-back Philip Brophy’s unconverted try, scored in the left corner on 15 minutes. Burt had replied with a penalty for Lansdowne.

Although Ireland under-21 fly-half Jonathan Sexton increased the Mary’s lead to 8-3 with a penalty, Burt, who kicked 11 points in all, and Corrigan decided it at the death. The win moved the headquarters side up to tenth place in the table.

GARRYOWEN 24 DUNGANNON 23, Dooradoyle

Scorers: Garryowen: Tries: Kevin Hartigan, Adam O’Loughlin, Ciaran O’Boyle; Cons: Conor Kilroy 3; Pen: Kilroy

Dungannon: Tries: Jonny Bell, Stanley McDowell; Cons: Gareth Steenson 2; Pens: Steenson 3

Garryowen survived a stern test of their five-game unbeaten record in Division One to edge Dungannon 24-23 in a nervy encounter at Dooradoyle.

Paul Cunningham’s men, who lie a single point behind leaders Shannon heading into the Christmas break, were in flying form in the first half as they stretched into a 24-6 lead.

Centre Kevin Hartigan (2 minutes) and wingers Ciaran O’Boyle (19) and Adam O’Loughlin (25) scored a try apiece in the opening forty minutes, with Garryowen’s top scorer Conor Kilroy pinging over nine points with the boot.

O’Boyle’s effort was his fourth try in six games.

But Dungannon, aided by the fine form of fly-half Gareth Steenson, staged a comeback bid in the second-half. Garryowen swapped their Munster squad members in the backs as Rob Henderson, who was forced off at the break with a knee injury, was replaced by Paul Devlin.

Still, a ‘Gannon comeback began to gather momentum.

Steenson added a penalty to his first-half brace and converted tries for former Ireland international centre Jonny Bell (67) and full-back Stanley McDowell (72), but the home side hung on.

Unfortunately, the game will go down in the Dungannon record books as the Tyrone club’s seniors’ eighth successive AIB League defeat in the province of Munster.