Roisin Ormond’s late try converted by Kate Flannery gave the Clovers a dramatic late win in Virgin Media Park, ending their home leg of the Celtic Challenge on a positive note.

Sheer mental toughness won this came for the Clovers. Trailing 10-0 they fought back to lead 12-10 at the break and in the end would be victorious by a margin of two. 

Tries from Flannery and Clare Gorman gave the hosts the lead but as it looked like the Welsh would leave with the win, Ormond struck and Flannery was ice cold to cap off the result.

Having two players sent to the bin, the Clovers never let the head drops and will now head to Scotland for two crucial games that will determine the remainder of this series.

Gwalia proved to be real threat and broke early in the contest but terrific defence from the Clovers kept them out, Clare Gorman prevented a lineout near the 5m line with a silky behind the back offload and after averting the danger they would win a scrum on the 10m line. 

As the minutes ticked by Gwalia turned the screw and started to pin the Clovers back into their own half, after a storing of physician hits which pinned the Irish contingent back, they slowly started to gain yardage up the park. 

Trying to use the full width of the Virgin Media Park surface, as they turned play over to mount a challenge the phases were quick, the Welsh line was however Ironclad and resembled running into a brick wall.

With 18 minutes on the clock Gawlia won a penalty and shot deep into the Clovers 22 winning a lineout shy of the 5m line. After a strong lineout Molly Reardon would win possession back from the lineout, offloading to Gwennan Hopkins who failed to break stride and bulldozed over in the corner from close range for the opening score.The conversion attempt missing the mark as for the first time this competition the Clovers found themselves behind.

As the Clovers attempted to work back to find an equalising score, Gwalia were defending well, an error in a lineout on the Welsh 22 prevented the Clovers from having a strong position to build from in search of that score as for a long spell in the opening half they were ran ragged by the power of the Gwalia pack.

When Gwalia got going they looked dangerous and answered serious questions of the Clovers defence every time they went forward, they almost added a second try before the half hour mark, Caitlin Lewis with a lovely behind the back offload but Kate Davies knocked on trying to gather possession.

Within a few short minutes the Clovers would get a double blow, Alana McInerney was sent to the sib bin and the Gwalia Lightning had a penalty in a dangerous position. A carbon copy of their opening try, after a strong lineout it looked like the Irish contingent had done enough to deal with possession but Reardon took possession and thundered over for the visitors, 10-0 with 34 minutes elapsed.

Down but far from out the next score would prove vital. Working the phases after the restart, the teenage sensation Kate Flannery spotted a gap in the Gwalia rear guard and danced her way past the tacklers before putting on the afterburners to cross the whitewash, converting the try the Clovers trailed by just three points.

It was an incredible turn of fortune for the home side in the final minutes of the half, all starting and ending with Clare Gorman. Straight from the restart Gorman took possession and like a steam train set destination for the Gwalia end of the field.

Gorman was halted but the momentum kept the Clovers in the attacking end of the field, spraying the ball towards the other channel, they worked the phases and with some serious carries and despite some physical hits going in they soon found the space.

Play moving towards the right hand touchline and Gorman on the opposite wing who started the move, used her sheer pace to fend off any Welsh tacklers and glide over unphased for the second try, Flannery would miss the second attempt at the posts, however from 10-0 down with 14 players on the field, the Clovers were 12-10 ahead at the break.

As the second half got underway, the bruising nature of this contest continued as both sides were giving very little in the pursuit of an opening score. End to end stuff the recovery session from this will certainly be a long one.

On the second occasion with 51 minutes on the clock after some intense defence from the Clovers, the referee went to the pocket, Beth Buttimer this time sent to the bin for an apparent deliberate knock on as she pounced to intercept a Gwalia attack.

Gwalia kept the threat up as the half neared the hour mark, their intense nature of the pack caused trouble again throughout the second half, leaving few exploitable gaps in their defensive line left little options for the Clovers attack.

Chances with that proved few and far between up to the hour mark, Méabh Deely got on the end of an incredible chip from Flannery, her pass just went too far backwards to start a break, the hosts still having a share of the possession largely inside their own half.

It was an incredible workrate by the Clovers defence that helped them stay ahead as the minutes ticked by in the second half. Dorothy Wall and Ruth Campbell the battering rams in the second row, pinning back Gwalia whenever they got a chance to take possession towards the Clovers line.

With five minutes left on the clock Gwalia looked to have broken Clovers hearts, after a strong clearance kick Gwalia looked to have knocked it on before sending it back, possession restored for the Welsh side as they raced for the line, Deely produced a sensational tackle to halt what looked like a certain try.

Possession was still with Gwalia and they kept on the offence and eventually as their forwards who were strong all contest attacked shy of the line, Tess Evans took possession and raced over from close range for a killer try. Sian Jones converted for a 17-12 lead.

With very little left in the contest it was do or die for the Irish side, a long restart sent the possession deep into the Gwalia half of the field, after some intense phases a big penalty was sent to the corner by Flannery. This was the chance.

Clock going to the red, their lineout inch perfect, their lineout maul in perfect unionsion getting the inches closer and closer to the Gwalia line. Every forward putting it all on the line to gain yards.

The ball eventually going wide as the Gwalia line was stern, Aoife Doyle took control out wide and made some more yards before a heavy hit halted the attack. Another intense showing from the forwards notably Eilis Cahill set the scene, Roisin Ormond the hero who dove over from close range to level.

All on the shoulders of Flannery, the young out-half in her first start of the competition, she steadied herself and struck a conversion sweetly between the posts to give the Clovers a sensational late win. 

POST MATCH REACTION:

Dorothy Wall: https://youtu.be/VFiif-veIyM

Denis Fogarty: https://youtu.be/eCSZ2XCWXjY

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