Towns Cup quarter-finals: Naas vanquish Boyne, but Cill Dara no match for Dundalk
The prestigious Bank of Ireland Leinster Towns Cup. Photo: INPHO/Tommy Dickson.
Naas are through to the quarter-finals of the Bank of Ireland Towns Cup, after what must be seen as an upset victory away to Boyne.
With Naas's first team playing AIL, the club are represent by their seconds in the prestigious Towns Cup. Naas 2 ply their trade in the Leinster Metro League Premier 2, where they currently occupy top spot of Division 1 with a remarkable record of 11 wins from 11.
Boyne, however, came into the game as strong favourites, with the Drogheda club pulling up trees in Division 1A of the Leinster League and looking all but certain to clinch to title on the final weekend.
But Naas arrived at Shamrock Lodge with other ideas. Six tries away to Ashbourne helped the Kildare club through to Round 2, while Boyne were one of five teams to receive a bye in Round 1.
These are two sides with plenty of pedigree in the Towns Cup, with Naas winning three of their ten finals, getting their hands on the prestigious title in 1995, 1998 and most recently 21 years agon in 2005).
Boyne, meanwhile, have a 66% win-rate in finals, lifting the trophy in two out of their three trips to the decider, going back-to-back in 2009 and 2010.
The hosts opened the scoring with a try on 14 minutes, but Naas replied with a try of their own from winger Sam Dunne, with full back Peter Osborne's conversion edging his troops in front.
Osborne landed a penalty on 25 minutes, but Botne crossed for their second try just before the break to leave it level at 10-10 at half time.
Naas needed only five minutes of the second half to retake the lead, with fly half Ethan Travers running in his side's second try.
But the lead lasted just two minutes before a converted try down the other end moved Boyne back in front - the hosts would not score again. Another Osborne penalty pushing the Kildare club one point in front with half an hour left on the clock.
The game went 20 minutes without a score before Naas let loose in the final ten, running in three tries and 19 unanswered points to blow Boyne out of the water.
It began with a try from the powerful Naas number eight, Muiris Cleary, with Osborne slotting the resulting conversion.
Osborne was also on target off the tee five minutes later after Sam Dunne had gone in for his second try, with replacement Cormac King scoring try number five to bring the game to an end.
Naas will be in Forenaughts for the quarter-finals where they host Dundalk on Saturday, March 29th.
Eoghan Duffy; Bradley Abbedeen, Bevan Duffy, Graeme McQuillan, Adam Brodigan; Michael Briscoe, Nick Smith; Thomas Gregory, Evan McGinm, Patrick Prendergast; Nile Banks, Oisin Howell; Lincoln Deyear, Colm Joyce-Ahearne, Karl Keogh.
George Cooney, Cody Oneill, Hugh Carolan, Elliot Lenehan, Dylan Lynch, Shaun Rooney, Rian Kindlon.
Peter Osborne (2 pens, 3 cons); Sam Dunne (2 tries), Colm Stapleton, David Butler, Andrew Carroll; Ethan Travers (1 try), Derry Lenehan; Calum Coyne, Fintan O'Malley, Patrick Brophy; Paddy McMahon, Cillian Dempsey; Jack Rogers, Conor Mcgroary, Muiris Cleary (1 try).
Jack Mallon, Tadhg Dooley, Patrick Stapleton, Tristan Groenewald, Tom Bohan, Ruairí Cleary, Cormac King (1 try).
Leinster League Division 1B winners Dundalk underlined their credentials as serious contenders for this season’s Provincial Towns Cup with a commanding victory over Division 2A side Cill Dara.
The hosts ultimately proved too strong, with decisive ten-minute spells at the start of each half laying the foundation for their comfortable win.
Dundalk wasted little time asserting their authority. With just two minutes on the clock they struck from a five-metre lineout, driving over from a maul for the opening try, which was converted.
Four minutes later and a slick move through the backline created space on the left wing, allowing the hots to finish in the corner and stretch the lead to 12-0.
Cill Dara began to find their feet and worked their way into promising territory, but two missed kicks to touch from penalties cost them valuable field position and handed the initiative back to Dundalk.
The hosts capitalised in the 17th minute, executing their lineout and powering over for a third try.
Cill Dara responded well and continued pressure finally yielded a score on 20 minutes when Chris Walsh crossed under the posts. Rory Conway added the conversion to narrow the deficit to 19–7.
Indiscipline continued to hinder Cill Dara, conceding a string of penalties that allowed Dundalk easy access to their 22.
After a lengthy spell of pick-and-go phases stretched the defence, Dundalk finished out wide in the 34th minute to leave them comfortably ahead, 26–7 at the break.
Dundalk again struck immediately after the restart. Cill Dara failed to deal with the kick-off and the hosts quickly punished the lapse, touching down in the opening minute of the second half.
Seven minutes later Dundalk crossed again out wide, putting the result beyond doubt. With the margin widening, both sides began to introduce replacements and the contest became increasingly scrappy.
Cill Dara’s discipline also proved costly, with two yellow cards shown. The first was to DJ Brannock following a team warning for repeated high tackles, while scrum-half Sean Behan was also sent to the sin bin later in the game.
Dundalk continued to add to their tally during this period, crossing for further tries to maintain control of proceedings.
Rory Conway crossed for a try late on after a clever cross-field kick from Behan after a period of pressure, although he was unable to convert his own score.
Then, with the final play of the game, Chris Cousins produced a moment of individual brilliance – collecting a loose clearance and beating three defenders to race in for the final score of the game.
James O'Loughlin; Rory Conway (1 try, 1 con), Ryan Hogg, Chris Cousins (2 tries), Adam Meehan; William Doran, Sean Behan; Aaron Kane, Oisin Carroll, DJ Brannock; Billy O'Shea, Stephen Walsh; Christopher Walsh, Conor Smyth, Colin Moloney.
Louis Venter, Simon Cahill, Ruairi Harrington, Shane Dempsey, Tadgh Doyle, Paddy Ryan, Robin Dempsey.
Ultan Murphy; Bradley Nealon, Luke Andrews-Walsh, Conall O'Callaghan, Deshawn Ighodaro; Conor Hennessy, Luke McDonough; Jamie Rafferty, Puru Aboagye, Darragh Maher; Joshua O'Hare, Fionn Duffy; Philip Shekleton, David Feenan, Tiernan Gonnelly.
James Canning, Simon O'Shea, Robert Farrell, Tadhg King, Darragh Conroy, Diarmuid Reilly, James Shields.
