Saturday 26th October 2024

 

AIL Division 1B Round 5

 

Nenagh Ormond left it late to dig out a hard fought 31-22 victory over Highfield at Woodleigh Park which lifts them into second spot at the top end of Division 1B and just two points off leaders Old Belvedere after round 5.

Nenagh took an early lead through a Conor McMahon penalty, but they played second fiddle for most of the game as Highfield brought huge physicality and intensity to their play, cheered on by an enthusiastic home crowd. 

The visitors’ defence was seriously tested in the first quarter and finally broke when scrum half Richard Cassidy sniped around the blindside to score in the corner after a driving maul had brought his team right to the Nenagh line. Shane O’Riordan converted brilliantly to put the home side 7-3 up and very much in the ascendency.

Although McMahon brought his team back to within a point on 23 minutes with his second penalty, it did not take long for Highfield to apply the pressure once again and a series of drives for the line ended with prop Daragh Fitzgerald barging over for his side’s second try. O’Riordan made it 14-6 and Nenagh looked in trouble as they struggled to get a foothold in the game.

Eventually, Nenagh got a break as Highfield fullback Mark McLoughlin lost his footing and spilled the ball giving the visitors a scrum in a very promising position. They capitalised fully on this, going through a number of phases before Nicky Irwin eventually squeezed his way over for the try. McMahon added the extras and in truth, Nenagh would have been happy to be trailing by only one point going into the break at 14-13 down.

Highfield scorched in for their third try almost immediately on the restart. Jamie Shanahan attacked down the left and released Eoin Dorgan who sprinted down the touchline, crossing in the corner for a classic winger’s try.

McMahon’s third penalty brought it back to 19-16 and it stayed that way until the 72nd minute when an O’Riordan penalty stretched the home lead back out to six. As the game entered the final stretch however, it was clear that Highfield were tiring. As the home defence struggled to stay going, Nenagh began to turn the screw and the pressure eventually told as hooker Dylan Murphy mauled over in the corner to bring the score to 22-21, with the conversion to come.

The kick was on the wrong side for left-footed McMahon but he made light work of it. The cheers from the Ormond supporters signalled its accuracy long before the touch judges raised their flags. The winger made it 6 from 6 with a 79th minute penalty and Pope completed the comeback when he rounded a broken Highfield defence with the final play of the game.

The league takes another break before resuming on November 9th when Nenagh will host Queens while Highfield will have a difficult assignment away to table-topping Old Belvedere. After sustaining 4 consecutive losses, the Cork side will need to find form quickly if they are to pull themselves off the bottom of the table – a position they have been wholly unfamiliar with in recent years.

Scorers for Highfield: Tries: R Cassidy, D Fitzgerald, E Dorgan; Cons: S O’Riordan 2; Pen: S O’Riordan. 

Scorers for Nenagh Ormond: Tries: N Irwin, D Murphy, B Pope; Cons: Conor McMahon 2; Pens: Conor McMahon 4.

HIGHFIELD: M McLoughlin; E Dorgan, J Shanahan, E Smith, L Kingston (B Spearman 80); S O’Riordan, R Cassidy (A Floyd 67); J Rochford, R Murphy, D Fitzgerald (C Hanlon 62); D O’Halloran (M Fitzgibbon 74), C Kennelly; D O’Connell, P McBarron, M Cronin (c) (S Glynn 62).

NENAGH ORMOND: J Rowland; P Scully (J Devanny 20-27) (B O’Rourke 80+4), A Blackmore, W Coffey, C McMahon; B Pope, N Irwin (C O’Doherty 52); M Doran (J O’Keeffe 69), D Murphy (J Devanny 80+4), C Skehan; J O’Kelly (C Hannon 64), K O’Flaherty (c), J O’Flaherty, E Murphy, J Brislane (R Buckley 64).

Referee: Dermot Blake (IRFU).