A dozen wins on the board now for UL Bohemian as the Red Robins are perched on top of the table looking to make this year’s decider. Old Belvedere are also hoping to make the decider, they registered a strong win at the weekend. Galwegians and Wicklow registered their first wins in the Division since late last year at the weekend.
Suttonians (2T) 12-39 Old Belvedere (7T), JJ McDowell Memorial Grounds
Belvedere took the local Dublin bragging rights over Suttonians and kept their run going with the objective of making this year’s final still in the balance.
Tries from Jade Gaffney and Lisa Callan gave the visitors a 10-0 lead in the tie which they took the break.
Into the second half Belvo kept up their fruitful scoring run, Clodagh Dunne crossing the whitewash to extend the lead. Sutts replied with their opening score of the contest, Kerry Browne crossing and Lauren Farrell McCabe dissected the posts with the conversion.
Belvo acted well to avoid giving the hosts momentum to stage a comeback, Dunne adding a second try of the contest before the potent Emma Tilly went over for a fifth try and a 27-7 lead as Jemma Farrell converted.
With the final whistle on the horizon, Belvo saw the game out in style. Éadaoin Murtagh and Aoife Rutley with tries, Farrell adding another conversion in a dominant showing by Belvedere. Róisín O’Driscoll would add a try late in that second period for the hosts.
Cooke (1T) 7-28 UL Bohemian (4T), Shaw’s Bridge
UL Bohemian kept up their 100% record in the Women’s Division as a brace of tries in each half saw them over the line against Cooke.
Cooke would take the lead as Tara O’Neill powered over for an opening try which Amanda Morton converted. Fiona Hayes’s charges dug deep and tries from Lily Brady and Chloe Pearse along with two Aisling Stock conversions gave the visitors a 14-7 lead at the break.
With a big 40 minutes on the cards, the Red Robins put in a serious shift to take the points. Pearse would grab an ideal early 30th Birthday present with a second try in the second period, Ciara O’Dwyer also crossing as Bohs took a bonus point win back to Shannonside, Stock with two more inch perfect conversions.
Galwegians (2T) 14-10 Blackrock College (2T), Crowley Park
Blackrock will need the maximum twenty points on offer in their final run of games to make this year’s decider as they fell to defeat narrowly against Galwegians at the weekend.
With Railway and Belvedere ahead in the standings, the defending Champions cannot afford anything less than four bonus wins in their final four games and hope the sides above fail to surpass them in the table.
Wegians won the first half and despite Rock matching them on the try count, missed conversions saw them suffer a four point defeat as they failed to find that last crucial score needed to defeat the Plate champions.
The Blue Belles set the tempo in the opening half, Orla Dixon and Grace Browne Moran crossing for tries which Emma Keane converted for a 14-0 margin at the break.
Blackrock did steady the ship and came back in the second half, Andrea Murphy and Amelia McFarland going over for tries but the hosts kept them limited to just those scores in that second half.
Wicklow (4T) 32-24 Ballincollig (4T), Ashtown Lane
Wicklow picked up just their second win of the season as they overcame Ballincollig in an entertaining meeting of the two in Ashtown Lane.
Ballincollig who had quite the strong start since the Division got back underway had been ahead 17-14 at the break but saw their winning run end as Wicklow produced a stunning second half comeback.
The Leesiders started the better of the two sides, Laurileigh Baker and Brighid Twohig both crossing inside six minutes, for a 10-0 lead. Wicklow replied with twenty minutes on the clock, Eimear Douglas with a try converted by Beth Roberts to cut the gap to three points.
Momentum stayed with Wicklow as Linda Dempsey crossed for their second try shy of the half hour mark and Roberts converted for the lead. Celebrations were short lived as Baker just on the half hour mark would add a second try, this one converted by Anna Roche had the visitors ahead 17-14 at the interval.
Wicklow would draw first blood in the second half as Lauren Barry crossed to help regain the lead. The hosts pushed on and a beautiful move by Saoirse O’Reilly secured the bonus point. Roberts was a big influence to the game, clicking her third conversion she added two penalties to keep the gap ticking over. College did add a late try in the half as Kelly Griffin went over for their bonus point and Roche converted.
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.