BUCCANEERS 23 CREGGS 19
BUCCANEERS and Creggs served up a compelling Bank of Ireland Connacht Junior 1A League game under the Dubarry Park floodlights on Saturday night when the hosts fully deserved their 23-19 victory over the title holders.
Buccs fielded their strongest side to date, making seven changes from their fine showing against Connemara. James Kelly, Ryan O’Meara, Robbie Byrne and Cathal Walsh strengthened the pack with David Colgan and Jack Dowd returning in the backline where Sam Tan debuted. Creggs had just a single change from their All-Ireland Cup win over Kilfeakle with Ethan Glennon in at hooker instead of the injured Nato Koronato who was an interested spectator.
Although playing against the breeze, Buccs opened the scoring with a 3rd minute Gearoid McDonald penalty. Creggs grabbed the lead 8 minutes later after a home restart had gone directly into touch. The visitors spread the ball left to right where Michael Dunne dotted down and Ronan Dowd added the extras.
Buccs lost Donncha Connolly to injury at the end of the opening quarter but they continued to take the fight to the border side. McDonald made a strong carry and swift support saw O’Meara drive over for a 28th minute try. McDonald’s conversion put Buccs 10-7 ahead. A lineout move looked like reaping a dividend but was whistled back and the hosts then coughed up two penalties deep in the opposition half to deny them adding to their tally. But their pressure yielded a penalty that McDonald drilled over to give Buccs a 13-7 lead at the interval.
He landed another penalty five minutes into the second half but Creggs kept in touch when Mark Purcell’s strong break was finished by Dowd for a try to narrow their arrears to 16-12. However, the visitors’ indiscipline earned a yellow card for Thomas O’Brien shortly afterwards although Buccs did not help their cause when dissent cost them 20 metres when camped inside the visitors’ 22.
Buccs were unlucky when Colgan’s smart crossfield kick was a fraction too high for Dowd but their sustained pressure gained reward when Colgan got in for a 72nd minute try which McDonald converted. In the dying embers of the game, Creggs had a lineout near The Bounty corner where Buccs applied a solid sack but, bafflingly, the referee awarded a penalty try to the east Galway side that gave them a losing bonus point that they did not truly merit.
This was a passionate derby that kept the minds of the spectators off the raw weather. Buccs dictated the tempo for the majority of the contest with the slick and sustained endeavour of all their squad catching the visitors off guard. Jack Crampton, Sam Fogarty and Byrne stood out in the forwards battle while Colgan and Hughes were prominent in a lively backs unit.
BUCCANEERS:- D.Colgan; H.Hughes, R.Murphy-Sweeney, S.Tan, J.Dowd; G.McDonald, D.Connolly; J.Kelly, D.Bolger, R.O’Meara; A.Markov, S.Fogarty (captain); R.Byrne, C.Walsh and J.Crampton. Replacements:- C.Rooney-Digan (for Connolly, 21 mins), F.Murray (for O’Meara, h/t), C.Daly (for Bolger, 49 mins), D.Bolger (for Kelly, 65 mins), F.Lennon (for Markov, 74 mins), L.Cassidy (for Dowd, 74 mins), B.Foxe and C.Brill.
CREGGS:- D.O’Reilly; M.Dunne, M.Purcell, D.Gacquin, T.Devine; R.Dowd, C.Dolan; T.Farrell, E.Glennon, M.Curley; C.Purcell, L.Divilly; L.Kilcoyne, J.Brandon (captain) and B.Diffley. Replacements:- E.Cahill (for Curley, h/t), T.O’Brien (for Farrell, 46 mins), B.Cleary (for Dolan, 59 mins), A.Kelly (for Kilcoyne, 59 mins), M.Feeley (for Devine, 75 mins), T.Tiernan (for Glennon, 75 mins) and L.Gregory (for Gacquin, 75 mins).
Referee:- Siobhan Daly (Connacht).
