NENAGH ORMOND 32 QUEENS UNIVERSITY 31
Nenagh Ormond gained 5 precious league points last Saturday when they overcame Queens Belfast in an absorbing encounter at Lisatunny. As with the previous match against UL BOhs , the win was just by a solitary point with Nenagh snatching victory from the jaws of defeat in the very last play of the game. The 40 minutes of the second half had elapsed and Nenagh were trailing by 6 points when substitute Johnny Hayes scored at the base of the post and Alex Ropeti added the conversion to record a win that didn't look likely with 10 minutes remaining . Unlikely maybe, but the win was deserved, as on balance Nenagh played the better rugby throughout.
Nenagh started brightly when on 2 minutes a neat kick-ahead by Alex Ropeti was gathered by Patrick Scully who had some some work to do but finished well. Alex Ropeti added the conversion.
Queens scored a try of their own 5 minutes later but missed the conversion. A penalty for Alex Ropeti made it 10 - 5 to Nenagh after 20 minutes. Nenagh's second try was scored by Willie Coffey who found a gap in the Queens defense to touch down for a try which was not converted. Again the Queens response was emphatic, when they scored their second try which was converted.
The Nenagh pack began to assert and after a period of scrum dominance on 35 minutes and resulting penalties close to the Queens try line, the referee awarded a penalty try when the Queens scrum buckled for the umpteenth time. Yet again Queens responded positively with their third try to leave the score 25-19 in favour of Nenagh at half time.
9 minutes in to the second half , Queens went ahead when they scored a converted try . In the passage of play leading to the try , the referee seemed to have his arm out for a knock-on advantage to Nenagh, but then allowed the play to continue and the try to stand, much to the puzzlement of the home support. It got worse for Nenagh immediately afterwards when some poor defending allowed Queens to get their fourth try. 31-25 in favour of Queens then with 25 minutes remaining. Nenagh to their credit worked hard and eventually were rewarded with their bonus-point try and victory at the end with the clock in the red
Next up is Cashel in Spafield on Friday night 2nd Nov at 8.00 p.M. Met Eireann are forecasting wind & rain on Friday so there may not be much pretty rugby but these 2 sides always bring out the best in one another and another cracking local derby is on the cards.
NENAGH ORMOND: F. Brislane, A Doyle, J. Coffey, K. O;Flaherty, K. O' Gorman, J. Healy (C) J.O'Flaherty E, Murphy, N.Irwin, A. Ropeti, S Carey, W. Coffey, P. Scully G. McNamara, P. Coman
Subs: Johnny Hayes, John Hayes, A Grey, R. Stanley,G, O'Gorman.
