Match Result
- Result: Galwegians Firsts 40 - Connemara 13
- Venue: Crowley Park on Sat Sep 3rd 2011
- Competition: Connacht Senior League
Match Report
Galwegians won their second fixture in this season’s Connacht Senior League with a comfortable home victory against a plucky Connemara Blacks on Saturday.</strong>
Playing with the aid of an early breeze, the Blues made the early running but were unable to convert possession into points on the board. Then Connemara, playing in the unusual strip of white jerseys, got into their stride and used the elements to their advantage. And the visitors took the lead with a penalty on 15 minutes by out-half Sean Joyce.
They had chances to extend their lead soon after but the Blues defence withstood the pressure, and just before the half-hour they took the lead with the game’s opening try, when a well-worked move saw winger Pat Finn score under the posts.
Stand-in out-half Brian Murphy converted, and just before the break the Shrule native created the opening for the Blues’ second try, this time new centre Ronan Burke getting the touchdown. Murphy added the extras, but the visitors gave themselves a chink of light when Mannion landed a second penalty right on half-time to leave it 14-6 at the break.
The wind died down in the second half, but Wegians superior strength and experience clearly told as they gained the upper hand. On 2 minutes the third try arrived courtesy of veteran lock Brian McClearn after a series of pick and goes. And just after the hour mark scrum-half Barry Lee sniped over under the posts, with substitute out-half Dave Clarke adding the conversion to stretch the lead to 26-6.
However credit the visitors who stuck to their task, and their new coach, ex-Connacht & Galwegians prop Peter Bracken, will have been heartened by their refusal to lie down. And minutes later they were rewarded when out-half Joyce crossed for a try under the posts, adding the conversion to reduce arrears to 26-13.
However the Blues finished strongly, and there was still time for two further tries, first full-back Gary O’Brien finishing off good work by Pat Finn, and then in the last minute no. 8 Eoin McKeon hacked the ball ahead and finished himself near the posts for try number 6.
Next up for Wegians is another home tie, this time a crunch derby game against local city rivals Corinthians on Saturday at the earlier kick-off time of 12.30pm at Crowley Park.
