J1 League – Clontarf 7 Lansdowne 10
by Mark Byrnes
Clontarf succumbed to their second successive defeat in the J1 League at Castle Avenue.
A scrappy game from the off, Clontarf found Lansdowne difficult to break down from the start.
Lansdowne missed an early opportunity when they missed a penalty and Clontarf began to settle into the game after stringing together numerous phases of possession. They were rewarded with a deserved try through full back Rowan Considine superbly converted by scrum half Ronan O’Driscoll.
However, the lead was short lived and Lansdowne leveled two minutes later when they touched down close to the posts making the conversion a formality leaving it 7-7 at half time.
Both sides missed opportunities with the boot as Clontarf started the second half the better. A straight forward penalty put Lansdowne into the lead as Clontarf stormed back to put pressure on the visitors’s resolute defense.
A frantic last five minutes saw Clontarf lay siege to the Lansdowne line but Lansdowne survived and time ran out on the home side.
With three games left, the league could go down to the final fixture away to St Mary’s College who lead on points difference.