DOLPHIN 24 BUCCANEERS 23
DOLPHIN recorded their first home win of the season when they came from behind to pip Buccaneers 24-23 in their Ulster Bank League Division 1B game played at Irish Independent Park, Cork, on Saturday. In a match played in balmy sunshine and on a topclass surface, Buccs will rue not translating another promising lead into victory for the third time this season.
The Pirates began strongly in a lively encounter and, following a superb maul after a lineout 22 metres from the home line, Conor McKeon switched the attack from left to right where Rory O’Connor claimed the diagonal kick to surge over for a 8th minute try which McKeon did well to convert. Six minutes later, Danny Qualter won possession in midfield and following the deftest of offloads by Martin Staunton winger Eoghan O’Reilly went scampering down the left flank for an unconverted try for the midlanders.
However, in between these scores, Dolphin gave Rory Scannell an early introduction and, although Buccs stretched their lead to 15-0 after 26 minutes when McKeon punished the hosts with a penalty after Michael Mannion was tackled in the air, Scannell’s arrival had a pronounced effect on the outcome. The Corkonians were at sixes and sevens in the opening quarter but he got them reorganised and added a considerable threat with ball in hand and also from placekicks.
Graham Lynch displayed his naivety for the second game in succession when again being sin binned. Six minutes before halftime he needlessly slowed possession and Scannell opened Dolphin’s account with the resultant penalty. This gave the homesters a much-needed lift and, in the final move of the half, Shane McAuliffe got through much too easily from 30 metres for a try at the posts. Scannell’s conversion narrowed Dolphin’s arrears to 15-10 at the break, despite his side having been well outplayed for large swatches of that first half.
Dolphin were rejuvenated on the restart and now attacked with purpose and commitment that had been lacking in the opening period. Within three minutes the sides were level, Cian Bohane finishing off early pressure for an unconverted try wide on the left. Buccs paid dearly for their yellow card, conceding 15 points in that spell, and then Scannell landed a 45th minute penalty to put the hosts 18-15 ahead.
Buccs forced themselves back into the contest and some terrific play took them to 12 metres from the home line where, straight in front of the posts, Barry Fitzgerald came offside to disrupt the real promise of a seven-pointer for the Athlone side. Infuriatingly for the Pirates supporters, although Mark Connolly awarded a penalty for this calculated infringement, the referee showed bewildering inconsistency when not showing a yellow card to the home flanker! McKeon converted the resultant penalty to tie the scores 18-18 with half an hour remaining.
However, just two minutes later, Dolphin regained the lead with vocal home supporters perhaps prompting that a tackle by Stephen McVeigh on Scannell was late. The young Munster player accepted the opportunity to drill the penalty over from the much more favourable position where the ball had landed. Buccs too were creating chances but McKeon then missed a kickable penalty before over-hitting another one for touch either side of the hour mark.
Buccaneers regained the lead eight minutes from time when, after Saba Meunargia had made terrific yardage with a powerful charge, McKeon punted a teasingly angled grubber kick to which Callum Boland won the race to touch down for a clever but unconverted try. But the Pirates promptly conceded a soft penalty when not rolling away on their own 22 and Scannell’s placekick squeezed inside an upright for the winning score on a 24-23 margin.
Buccs nodded off, not for the first time this season, in the mid portion of this entertaining joust and their tempo was perhaps not helped by quite a number of stoppages. Meanwhile, Dolphin will be grateful for the leadership and contribution made by the impressive Scannell who lit up this encounter.
DOLPHIN:- S.McAuliffe; W.Hanly, R.O’Sullivan, C.Bohane, R.Reardon; C.McGovern, D.Foley; J.Leahy, D.Byrne, K.O’Halloran; C.Rowe (captain), D.O’Mahony; R.O’Herlihy, B.Fitzgerald and J.Fitzgerald. Replacements:- R.Scannell (for McGovern, 10 mins), R.O’Reilly (for O’Halloran, 12 mins), K.Allen (for B.Fitzgerald, 27 mins), C.McGovern (for Scannell, 27 mins), R.Scannell (for O’Sullivan, 30 mins), K.O’Halloran (for O’Reilly, 30 mins), A.Mason (for Byrne, 30 mins), B.Fitzgerald (for J.Fitzgerald, 30 mins), R.O’Sullivan (for ?) and K.O’Keeffe.
BUCCANEERS:- C.Boland; R.O’Connor, A.Gaughan, B.Carty, E.O’Reilly; C.McKeon, G.Lynch; J.Walshe, S.Flanagan, M.Staunton (captain); M.Mannion, D.Qualter; R.Farrell, R.Moloney and S.McVeigh. Replacements:- S.Meunargia (for Staunton, 48 mins), G.Halligan (for Flanagan, 48 mins), B.Corcoran (for Carty, 52 mins), C.Romaine (for Mannion, 55 mins), M.Staunton (for Walshe, 70 mins) and A.Hayman (for McKeon, 76 mins).
REFEREE:- M.Connolly (IRFU).
Buccaneers are home to joint leaders Ballymena next Saturday with this much-anticipated game kicking off under the Dubarry Park floodlights at 7.30 p.m.