Weekend Report 25 Jan 09

Towns Cup Portlaois 36 Clondalkin 13
Article by Jonny Stapleton

A Saturday afternoon game meant a rare Sunday free of rugby for the Clondalkin players providing them a perfect opportunity to enjoy a rare Saturday night on the Town. And whilst the players certainly painted the town red there wasn’t much to celebrate about their Saturday afternoon Towns cup exploits.

It certainly wasn’t third time lucky for Clondalkin senior first in Portlaois. They will have to wait another year to register their first ever Towns Cup victory after yet another defeat it Irealnd’s oldest rugby competition.

Since joining the prestigious competition three years ago the Gordon Park natives have drawn first division opposition in each opening round, and as a result have fallen at the first hurdle each time.

Clon, however, will take solace from the fact they dominated large periods of the challenging away tie and proved with some fine tuning they may be able to compete at the level the aspire to.

The hosts were by far superior in the opening stages and finished the stronger as Clondalkin began to tire and were reduced to 14 in the closing stages, but the Gordon Park natives held their own in between and at one stage looked capable of gaining a result.

Initially it appeared Portlaois were going to run up a score more accustom to the temporarily redundant cricket patch they have on their ground as they made a brilliant start. Clon just couldn’t get hold of the ball in the first 15 minutes and at times it looked more like there was gulf in class between the sides.

Seany Brennan, probably one of the best second rows in the league, presence was severely missed in a miss firing line out and Clon were really struggling. The hosts took full advantage and opened up a 17-0 with relative ease.

The Gordon Park side eventually began to exert some pressure and after some intelligent kicking from full back Steve Cunningham found themselves in the hosts 22 for the first time in the game.

Philly Byrne and Simon King both came close to crossing the white wash but lost control of the ball at crucial times, but by this time Clon were forcing home errors.

Big Dan Fitzpatrick (whose comments about last weeks report were incorrect and unjust) was then held up despite his hulk like bulk, but Kev Hanlon eventually registered the score the visitors deserved after some brilliant scrumaging by Tom Duffy.

Cunningham split the posts with the conversion and with a penalty minutes later to leave Clon well in the game at 17-10 at half time.

The visitors made the better start to the second period with the combative yet diminutive Mark Molly starting to find territory for his side and the pack beginning to dominate come ruck time. Another impressive Byrne hit and clearance saw Hanlon win a penalty that Cunningham converted to bring Clon within five of their Divisional superior opponents.

Sensing what would have become a legendary comeback Clon then went in search of the game defining score. But they began to force the issue a little and when a promising move ended in a Portlaois intercept Clon found themselves back in their own 22, a place the struggled to get out of for the remainder of the game.

Super hits by scrum half come fourth flanker Al O’Brien, Brain Doyle, King, Fitzpatrick, Byrne and Paul Nolan kept the hosts at bay for a period but when Allie Collier was binned, some what harshly late on, the impressive home back line took full advantage and eventually ensured a comfortable win.

Added by Murts January 26, 2009 (3:50PM)

Have a comment? Please register