Malone left gutted after UCD score a penalty deep in injury time
Malone were left with a losing bonus point after the game looked like finishing in a draw, however UCD scored a last gasp penalty to win the game
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Malone welcomed the students of University Dublin to Gibson Park on Saturday. Malone were under no illusions as to the task that lay ahead. They were missing out half Niall O’Connor who had been on Ulster duty the previous evening and was not available for selection.
The out half bearth was filled by Josh Pentland, with Michael Barker moving to outside centre and Davy Irvine on the wing.
The game started at a very fast pace and the students were full of running and it was the visitors who struck first after a prolonged period of pressure inside the Malone 22, they moved the ball initially from right to left the wingerSam Coglan Murray raced towards the right wing, was tackled and set up a ruck, quick ball followed to out half Thornton who passed long to the wing and number 8 Brian Tracy touched down to score an unconverted try.
Malone settled and started to make some good attacking moves but came to nothing when some uncharacteristic handling errors occurred.
The visitors took their score to 0-10 when they scored a second try when from an attacking 10m scrum number 8 Tracy peeled off the rear was tackled by Johnny Creighton but spun out of the tackle and passed to scrum half Shankley who ran in to score another unconverted try. The visitors now with a 0-10 lead.
Malone stepped up there game and they were rewarded with a score when after some great forward pressure, Chris Taylor picked up and drove over the line to get Malone on the scoreboard. Johnny Creighton was unable to complete the conversion.
Some good period of play followed by both sides but neither were able to increase their points total before the end of the half.
Malone made a better start to the second half and looked to have scored when after an attacking 10 m scrum Glen Moore broke away a started a period of concerted pressure on the UCD line, Malone took the ball forward by the pack and moved it wide towards the right wing but the students were penalised at the subsequent ruck.
Malone opted for a scrum and Glen Moore made one of his trademark runs from the base of the scrum and broke through the UCD number 7 & 9 to clearly score, the referee however failed to award the score much to the disatisfaction of the large home crowd.
Malone were to receive justice however when at the scrum again Glen made an almost identical powerhouse burst from the base of the scrum this time the try was awarded. Johnny Creighton added the conversion to put Malone ahead for the first time in the game by 12-10.
Malone went further ahead after some good play by both forwards and backs the students were penalised at the breakdown for hands in the ruck, Malone’s Johnny Creighton kicked the penalty to increase their lead to 15-12.
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