BUCCANEERS 0 CASHEL 43
BUCCANEERS shipped another heavy defeat when they went down 43-0 to Cashel in their Energia All-Ireland League Division 2A match at Dubarry Park on Saturday. Buccs were further depleted through injuries and were very much in the contest until half-time. But the physically stronger visitors dictated the second spell as they secured a bonus point victory that keeps them in joint leadership of the league table.
Skipper Frank Hopkins, Corey Reid and Adam O’Carroll all sustained injuries at Barnhall that will rule them out for some time while Tom Shine pulled up in the warm-up. Thus the Pirates had no less than six changes from that game with Gearoid McDonald, Adam Flanagan, Harry Balsiger and Dylan Duffy all starting in the backline while Reece Henderson and Oisin Dolan returned in the pack. A very settled Cashel side sported just a solitary change, Phil Ryan coming in for David Upton at hooker.
Aided by the breeze the visitors took an early lead, Tim Townsend slotting over a 3rd minute penalty. Buccs suffered a further setback when James Kelly, captain in place of the absent Hopkins, was forced off through injury with Charlie Byrne getting his first taste of AIL action this season. Cashel scored their opening try on 22 minutes stemming from a lineout on the right after which Joe Callery made good ground before Brendan Ryan crashed over to touchdown between the uprights. Townsend’s conversion put the visitors 10-0 ahead.
Despite playing against a significant breeze, Buccs had much the better of the second quarter. They pounded the Munster side’s line for a spell but could not convert territory into scores, being held out tantalisingly close on a number of occasions. Their pressure saw the visitors incur two yellow cards in quick succession, Callery due to a high tackle on 35 minutes and Brendan Crosse joining him in the sin bin for another untidy tackle just two minutes later.
Although rain reduced the influence of the breeze, Buccs aspirations of reducing their 10-0 halftime deficit against 13 players were swiftly knocked on the head as the homesters then sustained a pair of yellow cards in the opening three minutes of the second half. Fergus Galvin was binned for impeding an opponent in the air at a lineout and Cathal Walsh joined him after Buccs brought down a maul that also resulted in a 43rd minute penalty try for Cashel. So it was 13-a-side for a period in the now deteriorating weather with the breeze less influential.
Crosse returned to score a 48th minute pushover try and Richard Moran scored similarly on the hour mark. Townsend converted both to push Cashel 31-0 ahead. Flanagan was yellow carded for a deliberate knock-on on 67 minutes and his opposite number Josh Pickering notched a brace of late tries, picking from the back of a maul on 68 minutes and then in the final move sidestepping the cover for his second. Substitute Ben Twomey’s conversion completed the 43-0 margin that somewhat flattered the Reds.
Lucca d’Ambola Riera, Walsh and substitute Byrne did their utmost in an out-gunned young pack. Orrin Burgess, in the centre, was named’ Michael Moore Car Sales Man of the Match’ while U-20 Dylan Duffy acquitted himself well on his debut.
BUCCANEERS:- J.Nagle; D.Duffy, R.Murphy-Sweeney, O.Burgess, H.Balsiger; G.McDonald, A.Flanagan; J.Kelly (captain), O.Dolan, R.Henderson; L.d’Ambola Riera, F.Galvin; P.Egan, C.Walsh and J.Crampton. Replacements:- C.Byrne (for Kelly, inj. 16 mins), S.Fogarty (for d’Ambola Riera, 55 mins), C.Daly (for Dolan, inj. 56 mins), D.Bolger (for McDonald, 60 mins), L.d’Ambola Riera (for Walsh, 70 mins) and E.Joyce-Whyte (for Nagle).
CASHEL:- R.O’Sullivan; P.Leamy, A.Flannery, J.Ryan, T.Tobin; T.Townsend, J.Pickering; C.O’Donnell, P.Ryan, B.Ryan; B.Crosse, E.Kelly; A.H.Barry, J.Callery and M.Wilson (captain). Replacements:- R.Moran (for Wilson, inj. 48 mins), B.Twomey (for J.Ryan, 64 mins), S.O’Connell (for O’Donnell, 64 mins), A.Shirley (for Crosse, 64 mins), M.Frati (for O’Sullivan, 69 mins), R.O’Sullivan (for Townsend, inj. 74 mins) and B.Crosse (for Kelly).
Referee:- Shane Gaughan (IRFU).