AIL Match Report: Tarf 30 Galwegians 10
By Mark Byrnes
Clontarf began a busy schedule of five successive Saturdays with an impressive bonus point win over Galwegians at Castle Avenue.
Clontarf played some excellent rugby at times in a fast paced encounter but it was the visitors who scored first with a penalty after two minutes.
Clontarf quickly responded after good work from the forwards, the ball went out through the back line and Mick McGrath touched down in the corner. Out half Martin Dufficy missed the difficult conversion from the touch line.
The lead was further increased when Michael Keating scored a well worked try to make it 10-3. Dufficy, again faced with a tricky conversion, missed the extras.
Clontarf scored their third try of the half through well worked maul from the Galwegians 22, superb control from a Martin Garvey take in the lineout inside the Galwegians half, superb control from the forwards whose strength was no match for the Galwegians pack and Aaron Dundon who had a great game throughout touched down and Dufficy converted to leave it 17-3 at half time.
The bonus point was wrapped up after 49 minutes when flanker Barry O’Mahony scored after good support play. However just five minutes later, the openside was harshly sent to the sin bin after referee Peter Fitzgibbon judged he had deliberately knocked the ball forward.
Galwegians upped their game and forced a contentious penalty try to leave it 23-10 going into the last quarter.
Clontarf again were reduced to 14 players with fifteen minutes left when prop Ciaran Kavanagh got ten minutes, but Martin Dufficy gave Clontarf a bit more breathing space with a penalty bringing the score to 25-10.
Sub Noel Reid touched down with the last play of the game to put a further gloss on an accomplished team performance ahead of much anticipated top of the table clash with Buccaneers.