Match Result
- Result: Galwegians Firsts 24 - Sligo 7
- Venue: Crowley Park on Sat Jan 11th 2025
- Competition: AIL Division 2B
Match Report
Galwegians picked up where they left off and started the second-half of their AIL with a deserved 24-7 win against provincial rivals Sligo at Crowley Park on Saturday, an identical scoreline to their game in Strandhill a month ago. However they left it very late to secure what may prove to be a vital bonus point with an 84th minute try from Ryan Roche to break Sligo hearts.
After the arctic belt endured all week, the thaw on Friday and Saturday morning meant the main pitch in Glenina was in pristine condition and the game went ahead in very benign dry conditions. Both sides were forced into some late changes due to a combination of illnesses, late knocks and provincial call-ups. The visitors were keen to avenge their home defeat in December and they came out of the blocks, winning a scrum penalty in the third minute. However if it was intended as an early statement, it proved short-lived as following the next scrum two minutes later, referee Kevin Coffey awarded the penalty to Wegians, a portent of things to come with neither side able to gain prolonged forward supremacy.
The first score was always going to be crucial, and it went the way of the Blues after 10 minutes. In their first meaningful foray into the opposition 22, the home side were awarded a penalty five meters out. A lightning quick tap and go by Andrew Sherlock caught the visitors napping and the scrum-half dived over at the base of the posts for an opportunist score, giving Stevie Mannion a simple conversion to put the home side 7-0 to the good.
Wegians went on to dominate most of the opening half and it was no surprise when they stretched their lead on 24 minutes. Following a sustained period of territory, a penalty kicked to the corner led to a well worked line-out maul. Irish U-20 call-up Bobby Power took clean ball before lock forward Gonzalo Alvarez emerged with the ball over the line to score the Blues’ second try near the right-hand corner. Mannion’s conversion hit the upright, but bounced over the bar to make it 14-0. For all their intent and ambition, Sligo lacked the cutting edge to seriously threaten the Wegians line, and that's how it remained until the half-time break.
The away side came out of the traps upon the restart knowing that the next score would prove crucial. However it would be their hosts who struck next to put some daylight between the sides in the 45th minute. It came from a well worked backline move started inside their own half, as slick hands fed left-wing Oisin McKey who chipped ahead from the 10 metre line. In a tight three-horse race between himself, Sherlock and the covering Sligo winger Ronan O’Connor, it was McKey who got the vital touchdown, even managing to hold onto the ball at full stretch for a magnificent score near the left corner. Mannion once more hit the post with his conversion, only this time it bounced the wrong side leaving it 19-0.
The visitors had a mountain to climb, however they were soon handed a lifeline when some very sloppy play in the 51st minute by the Wegians backs saw them cough up a soft score. A wayward pass followed by fumbling near the try-line allowed out-half Stewart Cruden to hack ahead and ground the ball for what would prove to be his side’s first and only try, tagging on the conversion to bring it back to a 12-point game.
The visitors had most of the play in the remaining half-hour, taking the game to the Blues. Although they took their foot off the gas somewhat, for all that it was Wegians who looked the more likely to score, only to fluff two gilt-edge opportunities when first a 5-metre scrum and then a 5-metre line out were wasted with the game into the final quarter.
This give the visitors hope ,and hard work and toil set up some scoring opportunities with Wegians starting to fall victim to a mounting penalty count in the final 10 minutes. Sligo huffed and puffed and with normal time up, they finally did manage to cross the try-line, only to be held up by some excellent Galwegians defence. Following Mannion’s goal-line clearance, the visitors mounted one last assault in search of a bonus point. But forcing the game led to them coughing up possession 30 metres out. Wegians’ flanker Power did brilliantly to pounce and charge upfield, where he found his supporting half-backs on hand with Sherlock and Roche combining well with the Rosscahill out-half diving over in the left-hand corner with the last play to seal a vital bonus point win.
It was harsh on the visitors, but after suffering so many last minute heartaches in the opening half of the season, Galwegians were happy to ride their luck and take the bonus win. This defeat puts Sligo in a serious relegation battle with Malahide, as they fall nine points adrift of the safety zone. In contrast Wegians have really turned a corner, and this third successive bonus victory has nudged them up to sixth place in the League. This Saturday they travel to face bottom side Malahide who will be fighting for their lives, but an away win for the in-form Blues at Estuary Road will mean they can harbour serious thoughts about a play-off place.