Match Result
- Result: Galwegians U21 13 - Garryowen 8
- Venue: Dooryadoyle on Sat Jan 12th 2013
- Competition: SW Conference League
Match Report
Galwegians made a little bit of Sky Blues history today when they became the first Galwegians team to win in Dooradoyle.
The visitor's heads were still on the bus for the first 10 minutes as Garryowen dominated the game with some sweeping moves. They deservedly went in front when scrum-half Geoff Ryan scored from a well worked move off the scrum from 22 meters. 10 mins - Garryowen 5 Galwegians 0
The score woke up the visitors who started to dominate the scrum and were very disruptive out of touch. The scrum won a kickable penalty which was slotted by scrum-half Conor O'Rourke. 15 mins - Garryowen 5 Galwegians 3.
The home side reasserted their earlier authority as their electric backline put huge pressure on the Wegians defense, but some incredible last ditch tackles kept the home side from crossing the whitewash.
There were a couple of minutes of relief during the half as superb defense forced relieving penalties but the home side kept the pressure on and eventually they stretched their lead with a penalty from out-half Rory Collins. 35 mins - Garryowen 8 Galwegians 3.
Galwegians decided to play some keep ball for the next few minutes as their forwards pounded their opposite numbers. After a number of pick and goes which had Wegians on the front foot. O'Rourke went blind and fed David Quill on the narrow side with a pass that took out 2 defenders, Quill drew his man and expertly put away Paul Power. The nippy winger danced his way through the covering defense and stretched his arm out of last despairing tackle to score. 37 mins - Garryowen 8 Galwegians 8.
The game was now in the balance as Wegians forward power was now denying the Garryowen backline decent ball. However Wegians power in the scrum has neutralised when a second Garryowen prop retired injured just before half-time. Half-time Garryowen 8 Galwegians 8
Wegians withheld some early Garryowen pressure in the second half before they started their siege of the home clubs goal line. The visitors pounded at the try line for a solid 10 minutes, only for some stoic defending, to keep them at bay.
Garryowen lifted the siege with 15 minutes to play and it looked like Wegians had blown their chance. However this young team don't ever seem to panic or loose their composure and they worked their way diligently back upfield to lay a second siege.
This time the foward power was matched with some classy back play as O'Rourke's whipped blindside pass gave Dave Symes the sliver of space he needed to wriggle over in the corner. 70 mins - Garryowen 8 Galwegians 13.
Wegians were doing a solid job of closing out the game are were on the attack again only for Garryowen to break out of defense in the last couple of minutes and had a tieing score denied to them as the try scorer put a foot in touch just before dotting down.
Wegians survived the final minute attack to garner a richly deserved victory which keeps them solidly in the race for the playoffs. Fulltime - Garryowen 8 Galwegians 13