As we take a breather for a week, the action in 2A is heating up at both ends of the table, Old Crescent moved to fourth spot this weekend, while Navan climbed out of the relegation zone as the battles at both ends of the table will make for interesting viewing.
MU Barnhall (3T) 22-15 Greystones (2T), Parsonstown
MU Barnhall kept up their strong momentum ahead of the final run in of games as they overcame a stern Greystones test.
A penalty try gave Barnhall the early lead, while Killian Marmion struck three to reduce the gap, Sean Higgins added their second try just before the break Barnhall moving 12-3 clear.
Into the second half the hosts saw yellow and Greystones replied by adding seven points to the board to cut the deficit down to two points. Conor Pearse with the try converted by Marmion. Adam Chester struck a penalty to further the hosts lead before again they added seven to the board with a third try. Ken Murphy added a late consolation try for the visitors.
Navan (6T) 42-17 Malone (2T), Balreask Old
Navan climbed out of the relegation zone with an empathic result against Malone at the weekend.
With five minutes elapsed Malone did grab the opening score, Dan Kerr spotting a gap and Nathan Brown converted. Navan’s reply was swift from the restart they put the yards in before Harry Hester dotted to the left of the posts, Rory Gordon converting to level the tie.
As the half wore on the tempo slowed as both teams tussled for possession, with half an hour elapsed, Navan did get over again. A lineout on the 5m line set the scene, they drove for the line and Leon Akopian grounded in the corner, Gordon converting. Shy of the break Navan had their third try, again it was their lineout, this time Jamie Kavanagh took the ball and crossed, Gordon making it 21-7 at the break.
Malone came out the better in the second half, tries from Ben Halliday and Ross Todd saw the deficit cut back to 21-17 shy of the hour mark. Navan did finish the half the stronger to take the points, Kavanagh soon added a second from another lineout to add their bonus try and minutes later captain Sean McEntagart sliced through to score, Gordon converting both for a 35-17 lead.
Gordon was a key contributor for Navan all afternoon and he turned try scorer to finish the day off for the hosts, racing down the left wing running the length of the touchline and dotted in the corner, the conversion added by the man himself. A massive win for the Meath outfit.
Old Crescent (5T) 36-14 Banbridge (2T), Takumi Park
Old Crescent moved into the play-off places as they produced a strong bonus point result against their play-off rivals Banbridge.
The Ulsterside started strong with the opening scorer arriving through Troy Pinion, Jack Hart converting for a 7-0 lead. Crescent threw everything but the kitchen sink to get on the board, wave after wave, penalty after penalty, cheese given to two Banbridge men, in the end Michael O’Hanrahan got over after the half hour mark, the conversion went wide. Banbridge ahead 7-5 at the break.
Ronan McKenna got the hosts in front with a penalty three minutes into the second half, momentum looked to have shifted for the hosts as Hanrahan went over for his second try of the day dotting under the posts just minutes later, McKenna making it 15-7 from the tee.
Shy of the hour mark Crescent powered forward with a run from inside their own half, Joe Rickard took ownership of the ball and crossed the whitewash for their third try, McKenna in the zone for the score. An error by Crescent in their lineout forced a turnover penalty and when Banbridge eventually got their lineout going after another penalty, they were in. Alex Weir dotting down and Hart converted, 22-14.
Inside the final ten minutes Sean Monaghan added the bonus point try and Werner Hoffman soon crossed for the fifth, McKenna converting both.
UL Bohemian (1T) 13-17 Cashel (2T), Annacotty
Time was not on the side of UL Bohemian as Cashel took the spoils despite a late comeback in Annacotty.
It was a closely fought Munster derby in the early exchanges, UL Bohs very much dominated play early on, when Cashel got into the Bohs half they kicked a penalty for touch, winning the lineout, the ball found Kevin O’Connor and he carved a way through to score, Ben Twomey converted. Harry Byrne struck a 40m penalty in reply as a tight half ended with the score 7-3.
Byrne slotted another penalty minutes into the second half following a high tackle. Again the game was tight as neither wanted to blink first. On the hour mark Twomey struck a penalty between the uprights to nudge Cashel four clear.
The Tipp men furthered their lead in the tie when they scored an incredible counter attack try. Richard Kingston picked up the ball on halfway dancing his way past the tacklers and carried twenty metres. He offloaded the ball toward Paudie Leamy, he found O’Connor and in the finish Jack Evenden took the final pass of the move to cross the whitewash, Twomey converting the lead 17-6.
The Red Robins never gave up. As they had a high tackle penalty awarded on the Cashel line, they opted for a tap penalty and Jack Foley powered over for a crucial try, Byrne converting to cut the gap to four. It was a dramatic finish, for Bohs a knock on near the halfway line brought an end to an incredible contest.
Nenagh Ormond P-P Ballymena
The meeting of Nenagh and Ballymena has been postponed this weekend due to weather conditions.
Diarmuid Kearney
Diarmuid Kearney is a freelance Sports Journalist based in Co Kerry. He has more than 5 years experience covering domestic and international soccer for different media organisations, while also working for local and national print and digital organisations covering GAA.