1st Team Report: Clane (7) vs Clondalkin (3)

Clondalkin firsts handed pole position back to Ashbourne in the quest for second place in the league and more importantly the search for the coveted promotion relegation playoff spot with a lacklustre display against a defiant Clane.

Clondalkin who now have former Clane captain, Ronan Murphy, in their ranks were always going to have a tough day ahead of them as a loss for Clane would have seen them sink into the relegation battle. However, its possibly the fact that Murphy was returning to Clane for the first time that made the Clane players more determined to win the game.

Clane got off to the better start and were dominant for the first twenty minutes with good defense from the back row of Mike Ryder, Paul McDermott and Simon King ensuring that Clon did not ship any points. Clon hit their own purple patch after about twenty minutes with several good carries from youngster Niall Nolan showing that Clon have a back line with the potential to be extremely potent. However, the weather conditions on the day meant that the game was always going to be played close to the pack meaning centre Murphy and Dixon were called into action on a regular basis. This type of game played into Clanes hands as it was evident their pack were intent on giving Murphy the welcome home to remember with every player seeming only so willing to make the big hit of the Clondalkin 12, with more than the one challenge being a bit on the illegal side but no more illegal than when Donal made his return to Gordon Park when he left us for the Guards.

Clanes pressure eventually told and they got over for a deserved converted try just before the break. Coach Paul Haycock seen fit to make changes and brought off diminutive flanker Mike Ryder in order to replace him with club captain and man mountain Dan Fitzpatrick. The added bulk in the second half seen Clon assert themselves on the game but Clanes defense were always going to be tough to break down. Chris Jebb finally registered Clons first points of the day with 15 minutes remaining. This set up a tense final fifteen minutes. Clon asserted pressure and were rewarded three penalties from outside the 10 metre line. Chris Jebb attempted the penalties but the difficult wind made the attempts all but impossible. Clon got desperate with time running out and began throwing the ball about and were prepared to run from deep. However, Clane scrambled well and registered a 7-3 victory that Clon can have very little to argue about.

Club captain Dan Fitzpatrick had this to say “I’m really disappointed with the result today but we can have no complaints. The boys gave their all but Clane were really up for this game like no other. We have the week to think about it but we have massive games coming up against Athy and Ashbourne and you never know it may come down to our trip to Ashbourne to find out who gets second spot in the league”

Added by Murts February 26, 2010 (8:58AM)

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