Clogher Valley continued to impress in 2C with their third straight bonus point result, Galwegians and Bruff both remain unbeaten and sit just behind.
Bruff (4T) 29-15 Bangor (2T), Kilballyowen Park
Bruff continued their unbeaten start to the season with their second bonus point win of the season, maintaining a push for a top four finish.
Bangor sniped first however as Ryan Young crossed in the corner with Gareth Millar landing the conversion. From a 20m rolling maul Bruff levelled matters, Adam Murphy crossing and Ethan Anderson added the extras. Awarded a penalty just outside the Bruff 22, Millar went for the posts and the three points put the visitors ahead 10-7 at the break.
Bruff started the second half much the better and started to take control of the contest, Anderson levelled from the tee coming off a penalty, before Mark Fitzgerald and Cillian Rae crossed the whitewash. Anderson landed the latter conversion for a 22-10 lead. Mark Fitzgerald added the bonus point towards the latter stages of the second half with Paul Collins conversion putting 19 between the sides. Matt Bougoure added a late consolation try from a 30m dash, they searched for one last try for a losing bonus point but Bruff defended well till the death.
Clonmel (1T) 10-21 (3T) Galwegians, Ardgaoithe
Galwegians sit second after three rounds following their third win of the campaign, proving too strong for Clonmel in Ardgaoithe.
Josef O’Connor put the home side ahead with an early penalty, however Galwegians responded well as Josh Munn ran in the games opening try that Tiarnan Neville made no mistake in converting. The only scores of a very tight opening 40 minutes.
Into the second half it was again the visitors to cross for a try, coming off a turnover Fin Tracy powered over for the games second try, Neville on hand to put the Galway side ahead 14-3. Clonmel replied well as Jason Monua powered his way over and from O’Connor’s conversion, we had a four point game.
It was a quite tense final few minutes in Tipperary but with his second try in as many games Garyn Daniel the tighthead prop powered over for the third Galwegians try, Neville faultless from the tee added the extras. The Tribesmen could have stolen a bonus point at the death but Clonmel held firm in a bruising contest between these two.
Enniscorthy (8T) 50-14 Ballina (2T), Alcast Park
Enniscorthy made up for defeat a week prior to take a comprehensive result on home soil over Ballina to preserve their fourth place spot in the standings.
Within seven minutes of play the hosts had two tries on the board pulling out a 12-0 lead, David O’Dwyer soon added a third that went unconverted. Following a yellow card shown to Ballina, Angelo Todisco secured the bonus point in a dominant 28 minutes of action, the hosts cruising with a 26-0 advantage.
Fiachra Hourihane stretched the gap to 31-0 with the Wexford side’s fifth try shy of the break, Ronan Molloy got Ballina on the board after 31 minutes as Cody Chilcot had the scoreboard reading 31-7 at the break.
Hourihane combined with Lee Treacy to power over for his second try, minutes into the second half. Chilcott put seven on the board for the visitors from Mayo after 52 minutes crossing for their second try. Scorthy continued their scoring exploits as Liam Stamp and Conor Fahy ran in tries to cap off an eight try display.
Midleton (3T) 15-26 Clogher Valley (4T), Towns Park
Clogher Valley remained top of the standings with a third straight bonus point win of the season.
Midleton would lead at the break but after a cagey opening 22 minutes, they were reduced to 14 men and the visitors had a converted try on the board. Taine Haire sent over by brother Ewen and David Maxwell landed the extras. As the half wore on Midleton came back into the tie, following a driving maul from a lineout Darragh O’Keeffe crossed to make it 7-5. Five minutes from the interval Aaron Leahy put another five on the board with their second try, the hosts ahead 10-7 at the break.
15 minutes into the second half and momentum had swung back to the visitors, Maxwell read the Midleton play well and dashed to intercept a pass and continued to race for the post going under after a near 40 metre sprint. Maxwell added the extra two before Paul Armstrong kicked in behind after 52 minutes and Robbie Mills showed his quick legs to gather for their third try, 19-10.
David O’Sullivan made it a four point game as their lineout maul worked wonders yet again for the third try, that went unconverted and a short while later the referee had shown both sides a slice of cheese to make it an exciting conclusion. WIth the final play of the game Clogher had their bonus point try, Ewen Haire chipped through for Karl Bothwell ro snatch the ball and the winger showed his pace to cross the whitewash.
Tullamore (4T) 29-7 Omagh Academicals (1T), Spollanstown
Tullamore returned to winning ways with their first of the season in comprehensive fashion over Omagh.
Darrin Classin’s charges impressed to take a bonus point from this one sided contest and now move up to fifth in the standings.
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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.