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Richmond take a step closer to Junior League title

By Aidan Corr
RICHMOND moved closer to taking the Munster Junior League Section A title today with a well-earned victory over Old Christians. Last Friday night Thomond had a narrow win over Newcastle West while in the Munster Junior Cup there were wins for Garryowen and Young Munster. In the Munster Junior Shield Galbally-Mitchelstown move in the next stage thanks to a 3-20 win over Cobh Pirates.
Munster Junior League Section A: Old Christians 17, Richmond 39: THE Cork side may have registered the first score of this game but by half time they trailed 3-22. Tadhg Bennett nullified that score with a penalty and on 24 minutes Jeffrey McNamara got over for a try with Bennett’s conversion giving the visitors a 3-10 lead. Two more Richmond tries followed thanks to tries by Keelan Stephenson and Brian Mullins, both converted by Tadhg Bennett that gave them a 19 point advantage at the short whistle.
The second moiety was hardly underway when Richmond ensuredBy their bonus try score with Jeffrey McNamara dotting down, the conversion bringing the lead to 3-29. Old Christians enjoyed a short purple patch when they reduced the lead to 17-29 with a brace of converted tries but the Canal Bank side sealed the win with a Tadhg Bennett penalty and a try from Seanie Bennett, Tadhg duly converting.
Thomond 19, Newcastle West 18: PLAYED in Liam Fitzgerald Park on Friday night this was a hum-dinger of a game. The home side scored within minutes of the kick-off, Alan Kiely’s accurate cross-kick brilliantly fielded by Colin Haigney who touched down to give his side a five point lead. Thomond received a blow when they lost Mike McMahon with a shoulder injury and Newcastle West kept in touch with a penalty kick, Alex O’Halloran making no mistake from a difficult angle. The visitors also registered the next score, Julian Bell getting over and O’Halloran adding the extras, and it was double figures with the home side trailing 5-10 at the break.
Thomond responded early in the second half and after some good approach work by the pack, a Jack Cosgrave try and conversion put them 12-10 up. It was 19-10 going into the final quarter when Adam Guerin got over the whitewash and then popped over the conversion. Newcastle West were not going down without a fight and an Alex O’Halloran penalty and a try from Andrew Mortell left just a point between the sides at the finish.
Bank of Ireland Munster Junior Cup: Young Munster 61, Mallow 24: THE holders were always going to advance in this fixture but Mallow can take some consolation from their courageous first half which saw them trail by 28-10 at the break. Stephen Lyons got the show on the road with the first try for the home side followed by a second one from Tom Ross, both converted by Kelvin Brosnihan. Mallow responded with a five pointer but a Conor O’Shaughnessy try, converted by Brosnihan saw the lead jump to 21-5. Mallow responded with their second unconverted try but a Darragh Shine touchdown, converted by Brosnihan saw Young Munster lead 28-10 at the break.
A minute into the second half Adam Maher dotted down and tries followed from Stephen Lyons and Darragh Shine with ‘Brossies’ conversions bringing the lead to 49-10. Mallow showed some spirit when they added a two converted tries but it was the black and ambers who saw the game out with tries from Liam Neilan and Werner Hoffman.
Bank of Ireland Munster Junior Cup: Nenagh 3, Garryowen FC 50: AN emphatic victory for the Dooradoyle boys and they march forward in this competition. Nenagh’s only score came early in the game but once Osana Farage got over for an early try, followed by a similar score from Colm Quilligan, both converted by Alexander Wood, it was clear that the Tipperary side were going to struggle. A second try by Colm Quilligan and a try and one conversion by Alexander Wood saw the lead soar to 3-24 as the hosts began to tire in the latter stages of this one-sided game. A penalty try and tries from Dean Manning, Ed Barry and Alexander Wood, who capped an impressive performance with a brace of conversions, saw the GFC tally reach the fifty mark.

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