Sat 5th Oct, 7:30pm. Division 1B.
Buccaneers 23 – 20 Malone
Malone run out of time in a great game against Buccaneers
by Stephen Barbour
Malone staged a dramatic come back late in the second half to run Buccaneers close in Athlone, losing by 3 points with a final scoreline of 23-20
Match summary Courtesy of Raymond Thomas
2 Pen Buccs Ben Carty 3 – 0, 5 Try Buccs Billy Henshaw Con Ben Carty 7 – 0, 14 Pen Malone James McKinney 10 – 3, 21 Pen Buccs Ben Carty 13 – 3,
40 Pen Malone James McKinney 13 – 6 HT
46 Pen Buccs Ben Carty 16 – 3, 63 Try James Tormey Con Ben Carty 23 – 6, 74 Try Mark Gribben con James McKinney 23 – 13,78 Try Michael Ferguson Con James McKinney 23 – 20.
Match details and a quick flavour of the game.
This was physically a big Buccaneers side (lot of Academy players in squad) and they started at a very fast pace and went 10 -0 up in the first five minutes. Malone weathered the storm and gradually came back into the game and started to impose themselves on Buccs. Our big problem was same as last week players still getting used to playing with each other again. Malone did well to hold on and half time score of 13 – 6 was a just result.
Second half started and Malone gradually got back into the game and had some good passages of play. James McKinney started to show his form and dominate the game. Mark Gribben had a good game and line breaks and overall play had Buccs working hard. Against run of play Buccs went ahead through a penalty and converted try taking the score to 23 – 6. Malone did not fold and the last 20 mins a hard working Malone got a try from the impressive Mark Gribben who after a good passage of play scored under the posts for James McKinney to convert. 23 – 13. Malone pressed on and a penalty kicked into Buccs 5 metre line brought a line out which Malone held and a great rolling maul from the forwards resulted in Michael Ferguson getting the try but all the pack really deserve all the credit converted by James McKinney 23 – 20 game on! Malone smelt a draw or even snatch a win bit just ran out of minutes.
Overall impression – this is a very good Buccs team and they should be there or there about’s at the end of the season. They will be hard to beat at home and if they get Jack Carty and O’Hallaran? back it might just tip it in their favour. Malone had a great second half and the players are now starting to play as a unit Conor Joyce showed real glimpses of form and McKinney has settled in well both Alan O Connor and Ben Alexander had good games. Man of the match Mark Gribben but all players deserve it they never give up!
