BALLYHAUNIS 13 BUCCANEERS 25
BUCCANEERS SECONDS completed their Connacht Junior 1B League campaign with an impressive 25-13 bonus point victory over Ballyhaunis at Tooraree on Sunday. Conditions in the testing breeze were really challenging for both teams but Buccs adapted well and had that extra sparkle about their endeavours that saw them come out on top.
The midlanders scored a brace of tries in each half with a slick backs move being finished by Cameron Rooney-Digan to open the scoring with an unconverted try. The Mayo club replied with a pair of penalties to lead briefly before another great backs move yielded the first of two tries by Harry Balsiger. Gerard Fallon’s conversion from near the touchline put the Pirates 12-6 ahead at half-time.
Fallon added a penalty before a fine forwards maul sucked in the home defenders enabling Ross Murphy-Sweeney to cut through for a try. Ballyhaunis kept battling, a converted try narrowing their arrears to 20-13 but Balsiger’s second try near the corner flag sealed the verdict which means Buccaneers progress directly to the league final in which they will face the winners of next week’s semi-final between Ballinasloe and Corinthians.
Murphy-Sweeney was the star of this show with the versatile Fallon controlling matters at outhalf while flankers Darren Browne and Brendan Fagan were pick of the pack.
BALLYHAUNIS:- L.Walsh; D.Murphy, B.Colleary, W.Cunnane, J.Carney; S.Finlay, K.McDermott; D.Jordan, Padraic Carney, D.Lilly; P.Egan, B.McLoughlin; M.Jordan, A.Healy and F.Crawley (captain). Replacements:- Paul Carney, S.Og Frayne, B.Robertson, J.O’Connor, J.Deegan, M.Mullarkey, S.McKay and J.Frayne.
BUCCANEERS: J.Nagle; H.Balsiger, R.Murphy-Sweeney, R.Teape, C.Rooney-Digan; G.Fallon, A.Flanagan; A.M.Abono, C.Morrissey (captain), S.Flynn; C.O’Grady, S.Fogarty; B.Fagan, D.Browne and L.Balsiger. Replacements:- C.Daly, N.Guliashvili, R.Keighery-Farley, J.Scouler, L.Doyle, J.Why, H.Hughes and C.Brill.
Referee:- Michael Honan (Connacht).
