Seconds 22 – Tuam 21

Galwegians won their first Junior League game of the new season for the first time since 2007 with a nail-biting 1 point victory over a determined Tuam on a breezy but warm day in Galway on Sunday.

Tuam started the game strongly and dominated both possession and territory for the 1st quarter. Only an extremely parsimonious defensive display from the young home side, 6 U21s started with 4 more on the bench, prevented Tuam from crossing the whitewash. Two penalties from Kileen McDonagh was small reward for their early dominance. 25 mins - Wegians 0 Tuam 6.

On Wegians first foray into the Tuam half they stunned the north Galwaymen with a scintillating try. Wegians had kicked the ball deep into the Tuam half and the return punt fell kindly for the electric Andy Fallon, who went on one of is crazy, mazy runs through a beguiled Tuam defense. He was eventually brought down and from the quickly recycled ball out-half Paddy Finn (another one of John Folan's inspired thinking outside the box selections) sliced through the remainder of a tattered defense to score under the posts. He also kicked the conversion. 26 mins - Wegians 7 Tuam 6.

Wegians were now in the ascendancy. They took control for the next few minutes and were rewarded with another try. The forwards set an excellent platform, the went to the blind side where Fallon chipped over the on rushing defensive line, wing Danny Carr show some silky soccer skills to control the ball from just outside the 22 before diving on it over the line for a craicing score. 35 mins - Wegians 12 Tuam 6.

Half-time Wegians 12 Tuam 6.

Wegians kept up pressure early in the second half and after 6 minutes capitalised on their dominance with a 3rd try. The Blues scrum was going well and when offered a kickable penalty from 5 metres out opted to take a scrum. O'Shea picked from the back and blasted over the line and Finn expertly converted. 51 mins - Wegians 19 Tuam 6.

Tuam upped the pace and forced their way across the whitewash to keep their hopes of a victory firmly within their sights. 57 mins - Wegians 19 Tuam 11.
The visitors sensed the callow Wegians side were starting to fade and McDonagh kicked another penalty to leave the final quarter delicately balanced. 70 mins - Wegians 19 Tuam 14.

It was tense stuff with both sides making line breaks as the game swung from one end of the field to the other. Wegians eventually forced a penalty to stretch their lead to a 2 score game. 79 mins - Wegians 22 Tuam 14.

But Tuam weren't finished and 2 minutes into injury the battered their way up field and finished off with a score under the posts. 81 mins - Wegians 22 Tuam 21.

A hectic, lung bursting 3 minutes later Wegians forced the ball into touch and the ref mercifully blew for full time, extending the Seconds unbeaten run from last season into the new one, it is 12 victories in a row now.