Athy safely into last eight of Towns Cup
Captain Tadhg Foley carrying the game to New Ross Photo: Aisling Hyland
Athy made their way into the quarter-finals of the Provincial Towns Cup with a relatively easy victory over their County Wexford opposition on Sunday at the Showgrounds.
They made it somewhat hard on themselves and after taking a 12-0 lead with the advantage of a sizeable breeze, the home side found themselves behind early in the second half. They responded well to this and eventually ground out a victory. The scoreline might have flattered but there was no doubt, they were deserving winners.
Playing into the clubhouse end of the ground, it took the home side twelve minutes to register on the scoreboard when they worked a line-out penalty and Darragh Farrell opened the scoring. He added the points himself.
Six minutes later, Athy were in again when they spun the ball from left to right where space opened up and Aidan Henry touched down in the corner.
The home side could have had a third try in that period of time with a good break up the left but Tom Sheedy was probably a little bit ambitious with a long pass towards his left-winger which needed to be deadly accurate but wasn’t.
The eventual winners had a chance to put three scores between the sides when they were awarded an eminently kickable penalty. Instead, they went for the corner but lost the ball in the line-out.
New Ross enjoyed their best patch after this and when they were awarded a penalty in front of the Athy posts, it looked like an easy three points. Instead, they opted for an attacking scrum. They won clean possession, went wide to the right but changed direction for Walter Walsh to go over almost untouched. The conversion was a formality for Ciaran Prendergast.
New Ross persisted and when they mauled Athy towards their own line, the scrum half was in again on the left. His successful conversion gave his side a 14-12 lead at the break.
The question had been asked of the home side. They replied well. Farrell tapped over a penalty but Prendergast replied in kind for the visitors.
On 50 minutes the eventual winners made their move for victory and Henry scored his second try. The Athy side were doing things well at this point. When New Ross coughed up possession as the ball went to ground, Ciaran Fennessy, responded quickly when taking possession. His speed took him over 50 metres and going in under the posts, the seven points put space between the sides. Against a flagging opposition, the Athy forwards carried the ball forward once more and this time, Tom Brady, celebrated his introduction when dotting down. Again no problem with the conversion for Farrell and Athy had booked their place in the quarter-finals.
They had a bit of defending to do at the end and while they creaked at times, they were not going to concede. A place in the last eight was their reward and who is to say what will happen next after a draw that sees them travel to Dundalk for their quarter-final tie. That game will be played on Sunday 23 March.
Athy are now the last remaining Kildare side in this year’s competition after Naas were beaten 39-32 away to Naas.
Tries: A Henry (2), D Farrell (1), C Fennessy (1), T Brady (1). Pens: D Farrell (1). Cons: D Farrell (3).
Tries: W Walsh (1), C Prendergast (1) Pens: C Prendergast (1) Cons: C Prendergast (2).
Adrian Henry, Cathal Fennessy, Tom Sheedy, Darragh Farrell, Ciaran Fennessy, Craig Miller, Culann Carbery; Teodor Ciobanu, Niall O’Hanlon, Karol Donohoe, Kevin Downey, Niall Dunne, James Sheedy, Ross Hendy, Tadgh Foley. Replacements: Jack Henry for Hendy (1), David Downey for Carbery (61), Tom Brady for Downey (64), Connor McDonnell for Dunne (69), Dennis McCarthy for Donohoe (71).
Eoghan O’Dwyer, Craig Bradley, Walter Walsh, Jack Brennan, Eoin Kennedy, Sean Kinsella, Ciaran Prendergast; James Bryan, Jordan O’Brien, Shane Gould, Kyle Roche, Rory Browne, James Ryan, Tim Coughlan, Sean Whelan. Replacements: Jake Cullen for Gould (1), Thomas Ryan for Bradley (53), Gould for O’Brien (61), Bradley for Roche (65), Cathal Kehoe for O’Dwyer (68), Dean Prendergast for Kennedy (69).
Clive Wardrop (LAR)
