Ormond slip to costly defeat in relegation battle

RUGBY: Energia All-Ireland League Division 2A Round 15

UL Bohemian 30

Nenagh Ormond 24

Report: Shane Brophy at UL Arena

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Harry Byrne (UL Bohemian)

SCORERS – UL Bohemian: Tries: Clancy, Sweeney, Condell Convs: Byrne (3) Pens: Byrne (3)

Nenagh Ormond: Tries: McMahon, Scully, Buckley Convs: McGibney (3) Pen: McGibney (1)

Nenagh Ormond are staring at a relegation playoff following defeat to UL Bohemian in a highly entertaining All-Ireland League Division 2A encounter on Friday night.

Not only did Nenagh come up short against the students, who were a place ahead of them in the table going into this round of games, all the other sides in the relegation battle were also victorious, including Dolphin and Old Crescent, which means Ormond now lie nine points adrift of escaping the relegation playoff zone with just three games remaining.

Not only that, they have to be aware of Rainey Old Boys below them who recorded a stunning home win over Cashel to end the Tipperary sides ten game winning run, and with the second from bottom team having home advantage for the relegation playoff against the bottom placed team, Nenagh will want to be aware to stay ahead of the Derry side in the remaining three group games.

Ormond have three weeks to prepare for the final phase of the season and this mini-break couldn’t have come at a better time considering the injury list which resulted from last Friday nights encounter with UL Bohemian with both seconds rows Kevin & John O’Flaherty, centre Patrick Scully and Fionn McGibney all forced to leave the field through injury at different stages. There is no doubt it had a major impact on Nenagh’s ability to build on a strong first half where they led 21-10 and one stage.

However, in the second half, they managed just three points from the boot of McGibney as unforced errors came into their play, which handed the home side the initiative and with outhalf Harry Byrne unerring from the boot, it was the difference on the evening in a highly entertaining game on the UL 4g pitch.

The early signs for Nenagh weren’t good as UL Bohs got the upper hand in the scrum, and they also dominated the ball in the early going but the Nenagh defence was up to the challenge, and it was the visitors who crossed for the opening try on nine minutes, a superb training ground move off a lineout with John Hayes punching a hole in the Boh’s defence and when the ball was moved to the midfield, Conor McMahon cut a superb line and pace to run through in under the posts for a converted try.

However, that seven-point advantage lasted just four minutes as the concession of a penalty at the lineout allowed UL Bohs into the Nenagh 22 from where Eoin Sweeney and Kieran O’Shea made strong carries and after patient play, centre Paul Clancy went over for a converted score from Harry Byrne, who added a penalty shortly after for a 10-7 lead.

Nenagh lived off scraps in terms of possession but what they did get they maximised and in their first sustained attack on thirty minutes, they won a penalty which they kicked to the corner and when the maul was stalled, the ball was moved out to Patrick Scully who had to step back to gain possession but the misjudgement worked in his favour as it unsettled the Bohs defence and the centre found a gap to touch down beside the posts for a converted try.

It got better moments later as David Gleeson collected the restart and broke through the UL defence and carried the ball back inside their ten-metre line where John Hayes was on his shoulder and brought it into the 22. From there, strong carries, including by replacement Jake O’Kelly saw Nenagh held up short of the line, but they were patient before Rob Buckley burrowed over for Nenagh’s third try, converted by McGibney for a 21-10 lead.

So close to half time, Nenagh hoped to get to the break with that strong advantage, but they didn’t as they failed to claim the restart with Bohs wing Joe Murray making the incision from where Eoin Sweeney went over for a converted try as the home side reduced the deficit to 17-21 at half time.

Nenagh enjoyed more of the ball early in the second half, looking to move the ball wide to where David Gleeson was hugely impressive. However, it only led to three points from McGibney in the 51st minute, the visitors only score of the half.

UL Bohs drew level two minutes later as an unforced error in their own 22 and Ian Condell went over for Byrne to convert to bring the sides level at 24 points apiece. An offside in midfield allowed Byrne to land a long-range penalty on 58 minutes and he did the same seven minutes later, although Nenagh were fortunate not to concede a penalty try for some cynical play on their own line when Bohs were threatening a fourth try.

Nenagh had their chances in the final ten minutes to score a fourth try, but they failed to claim a lineout from five metres out and in a subsequent lineout in the 22 they knocked on. From another attack they were camped on the home sides line, who conceded a number of penalties, but no sinbinning ensued. From a second tap penalty, Nenagh got over the line but were held up and with it, UL Bohs were able to claim a relieving drop out.

To Nenagh’s credit they threw everything at Bohs in the closing stages with David Gleeson and Jake O’Kelly making strong carries, however, a cross kick was just out of reach for Conor McMahon and with it went Nenagh’s chance of claiming a try-bonus point or even all five points as UL Bohs now give themselves breathing space at the bottom of the table.

For Nenagh it means likely having to win their three remaining games at home to Buccaneers and Cashel, and away to MU Barnhall, to have a chance of finishing above ninth place. It's not beyond the bounds of possibility that they can do that as they are playing well enough, even in defeat like this one, but the struggles of the first half of the season were always going to be difficult to overcome.

TEAMS – UL Bohemian: Oisin Fagan (6); Joe Murray (6), Paul Clancy (7), Ben Swindlehurst (6), Colin Ryan (7); Harry Byrne (8), Alan Kiely (8); Kian Regan (7), Kieran O’Shea (7), James Burton (6); Dave Kinane (7), Jay Traynor (6); Ian Condell (7), David Rowsome (7), Eoin Sweeney (7).

Reps: Colin Madden (6) for Swindlehurst (16 inj); Pauric Nesbitt (6) for Burton (HT); Connor Botha (6) for O’Shea (63); Patrick Staff (6) for Kinane (68); James Burton (6) for Regan (71); Conor Nesbitt (6) for Sweeney (73).

Nenagh Ormond: Fionn McGibney (7); David Gleeson (8), Conor McMahon (7), Patrick Scully (7), Peter Coman (6); Derek Corcoran (7), Nicky Irwin (8); Fergal Brislane (6), Peter O’Connor (6), Niall O’Gorman (7); Kevin O’Flaherty (7), John O’Flaherty (6); Rob Buckley (7), Evan Murphy (7), John Hayes (7).

Reps: Jake O’Kelly (7) for K O’Flaherty (28 inj); James Finn (6) for Scully (53 inj); Cian Ryan for Corcoran (blood 65-71); Cian Ryan (6) for McGibney (73 inj); Brendan McAdams (NR) for J O’Flaherty (78 inj).

Referee: Paudie Sheehan.