Clonmel eke out narrow victory in close All Ireland League encounter away to Ballina

All-Ireland League Division 2C (Round 6)

BALLINA RFC 23 CLONMEL RFC 27

Clonmel’s first XV rugby team maintained their two in a row, mini winning streak on Saturday last with a hard- fought 23-27 win away to Ballina RFC in Heffernan Park in round 6 of division 2C of the All-Ireland League.

The win nudges the Clonmel side up another place to fifth on the table on 14 points, with three wins from six games.
It was another long spin to an away fixture on Saturday and conditions on the day were wet and windy in the county Mayo ground. However, the team was buoyed by their home victory over Omagh the previous weekend and their sights were firmly set on pulling off a second win in a row over a Ballina side who were three places below them on the table.

And as if to throw down an early marker, a penalty to Clonmel in the opening minutes of the game saw Josef O’Connor kick to the corner rather than take a possible three points from a scoreable position. The resulting lineout and maul was disrupted by Ballina and failed to yield a positive outcome but the intent was there and the Clonmel side was definitely in attack mode.
Minutes later and in a similar scenario, O’Connor opted for the posts and slotted over a penalty for a 0-3 lead, only to be countered within five minutes when Ballina levelled proceedings on 3-3.

The westerners took the lead on 24 minutes when a Clonmel infringement resulted in a penalty for Ballina and a 6-3 lead for the home side.

The conditions were taking their toll, with handling errors on both sides, making the opening 30 minutes a difficult game to watch for the rugby purists.

Clonmel levelled the score at 6-6 on 30 minutes before Clonmel’s full back, Conor Hogan, broke through the Ballina defensive line after a great passage of play to score the game’s first try, which O’Connor duly converted to take a 6-13 Clonmel lead into the half time break.

The Clonmel lead was short-lived, as Ballina opened the second half at pace and levelled the score once again, on 13-13, after a well-worked try and well-taken conversion. And the home side went 16-13 up after a penalty on 50 minutes before Clonmel’s number eight, Conor Horan after a great drive, crossed the line near the post to score their second try, which once again was converted by Josef O’Connor.

At 16-20 to Clonmel, the lead lasted all of two minutes, before Ballina responded with their own converted try and the score pendulum swung back in favour of Ballina, 23-20 on 59 minutes.

The game was finely balanced and ebbing and flowing until Clonmel’s centre Henry Buttimer thwarted the Ballina defence yet again to score Clonmel’s third try on 63 minutes, which the faultless kicking of O’Connor converted, to give Clonmel a 23-27 lead.

And so it remained and a nervy final 15 minutes saw both sides throw everything at each other but no further scores ensued and the game closed with a 23-27 win for the Clonmel travelling side.

It was a good win on the road and a valuable four points added to the tally. There were good phases of play from the Clonmel side, and the inconsistencies can be worked on as the side continues to improve.

A BREAK BEFORE TULLAMORE
There is now a break in proceedings for a week before Clonmel plays host to Tullamore on Saturday, December 3 before the final pre-Christmas away trip to Midleton the following Saturday. Clonmel wrap up the first half of the league at home to Enniscorthy.
Team: Forwards: Juan Cruz, Brandon Delicato, Jason Monua, Tom O’Dea, Laurence Holohan Diarmuid Devaney (captain) Brian O’Dea, Conor Horan.
Backs: Aiden Hickey, Joey O’Connor, Andrew Daly, Henry Buttimer, Luke Hogan, Zac O’Loughlin, Conor Hogan.
Replacements: Tim Nugent, Ben Everard, Ben Masuka, Lar Houlihan, Jack Walsh, Ben O’Dwyer.

SPLIT THE BUCKET WINNER
Congratulations to Maria Corby, who won €440 in Sunday’s STB draw. That brings to €26,000 paid out to over 50 different winners in the first year of the draw, matching the €26,000 much- needed funds raised for the club. Please support our club in this effort on our website.