Kilfeacle rugby fall to Newcastle West loss in the league

Kilfeacle & District 19

Newcastle West 24

Kilfeacle have now fallen four points behind the lead in Division 1 of the Munster Junior League approaching the crucial last round of games following their 19-24 loss to Newcastle West last Saturday.

The November weather was bitterly cold and the home side had the advantage of a light breeze for the first half, but Kilfeacle started the game well and immediately pushed their opponents back into their own 22.

Directly from the kick off they were awarded a penalty which William Staunton converted to open the scoring, but two minutes later Newcastle West were awarded a penalty just outside the Kilfeacle 22 which they kicked to level the score.

On the 17th minute mark William Staunton kicked another penalty for Kilfeacle to bring the score to 6-3 in favour of Kilfeacle. However, in the 25th minute Newcastle West scored a penalty to level the scores, as five minutes later Newcastle West scored another penalty to take the lead.

Kilfeacle’s pack were coming to terms with their opponents and the conditions, and were on top in the scrums, as with 38 minutes played William Staunton kicked one of the penalties awardedfrom forward pressure to level the scores yet again at 9-9.
From the restart, the game fell into a similar pattern, but in the 46th minute Newcastle West were awarded a penalty 4 metre inside their own half, and their out-half decided that with the aid of the breeze it was worth a shot at goal.

His belief in his abilities was well founded as his monstrous kick scraped over the bar to give Newcastle West the lead once more 12-9.

After 58 minutes, Kilfeacle were reduced to 14 men when a player was deemed to have illegally cleaned out a ruck and the resultant penalty once again saw Newcastle West score 3 points and bring the score-line to 15-9.

It was to be a very expensive 10 minutes for Kilfeacle as Newcastle West scored two more penalties in the 63rd and 66th minute. William Staunton kicked a penalty to reduce the deficit in the 67th minute but this was cancelled out by a sublime long-distance drop-goal by Newcastle West’s scrum half in the 68th minute.

When Kilfeacle were restored to the full compliment of 15, they trailed by 12-points as the game once again became an arm wrestle until in the 71st minute, Newcastle West were reduced to 14 men for a similar offence.

Kilfeacle immediately took the game to Newcastle West and gained territorial advantage and within 6 minutes reduced Newcastle West’s lead with a push-over try scored by Diarmuid O’Donnell and converted by William Staunton. It was now a one score game with Newcastle West leading by 24-19.

The remainder of normal time in the game was spent for the majority of the time with Kilfeacle on the offensive but once again some errors and excellent defending saw Newcastle West hang on.

The final score line didn’t reflect how tight a game and absorbing a contest this was.

The team as ever are proud and humbled by the amount of support they receive and hope that their supporters will continue to come along and support the team for their remaining fixtures.

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