Two Limerick wins while Bruff hit back to draw on dramatic Saturday in All-Ireland League

THERE were wins for Garryowen and UL-Bohemian, while Bruff fought back to gain a thrilling draw, on a dramatic day for Limerick senior clubs as the energia All-Ireland League action resumed on Saturday.

In Division 1A, sixth-placed Shannon had a disappointing day at Ballymacarn Park when succumbing 31-5 to Ballynahinch.

Also in the top flight, Young Munster, who sit ninth, claimed two valuable bonus points in their 39-44 defeat to Clontarf in a 10-try thriller at Clifford Park.

In Division 1B, Garryowen moved up to eighth place after recording a precious 18-12 victory over Old Wesley at Dooradoyle, the Light Blues second win of the campaign.

In Division 2A, in-form UL-Bohemian made it three wins from four in the AIL this season when edging past Greystones 11-9 at Annacotty to lie third in the table.

Also in 2A, Old Crescent, who are second-from-bottom, suffered a heavy 6-29 defeat against high-flying Nenagh Ormond at Takumi Park.

In Division 2C, Bruff claimed three match points in a thrilling 26-26 draw away to Galwegians at Crowley Park. The Limerick side, who remain unbeaten in the league this season, had trailed by a whopping 26 points at one stage in the opening half.

Bruff sit in third place in the 2C table, three points off table toppers Clogher Valley.

Shannon moved their Ireland Under-19 international Stephen Kiely into midfield to partner Harry Long for the Division 1A game with Ballynahinch, while Tony Cusack, David Maher and Kelvin Brown all started up front for the Parish side.

The Limerick side side fell 0-7 in arrears when 'Hinch went over for a try off a well-executed maul with Claytan Milligan dotting down and Conor Rankin adding the extras.

After Shannon lost a player to a red card just before half-time, Hinch increased their advantage with a Rankin penalty easing the home side into a 10-0 half-time lead. 

A second try from Milligan from a well-worked maul at the start of the final quarter, converted by Rankin, saw Hinch increase their advantage to 17 points.

A try from Mark Best, which was also converted, push the home side's advantage out to 24-0. 

However, to their credit, 14-man Shannon hit back to score a well-worked team try. Following an excellent break by Harry Long, Jack O’Donnell shipped the ball on to Will Reilly who went over for a five-pointer to make it 24-5.

'Hinch then rounded off the score with another converted try to secure a 26-point winning margin.

Meanwhile, Ruadhan Quinn’s Munster call-up meant James Horrigan came into the back row for Young Munster for the visit of Clontarf to Greenfields. A changed tight five included Keynan Knox and Tom Goggin.

James O’Brien and Shane O’Leary, the former Grenoble and Connacht player, were the only changes behind the scrum, with O’Leary lining out at full-back. 

Tarf', who suffered a 24-19 defeat to Munsters' in their visit to Greenfields twelve months ago, crossed for four first half tries to lead their hosts 31-6 at half-time to secure the bonus point.

After the Dubliners took an early 7-0 lead with a converted try, the home side hit back with a penalty goal from Shane O'Leary to leave it 3-7.

The visitors then added a second converted try to lead 14-3, before Munsters' replied with a second penalty from O'Leary.

However, a run of 17 unanswered points, including two converted tries, before half-time, had 'Tarf 25 points to the good at the break.

The quick start Munsters' needed to the second half arrived when Gearoid Mulcahy struck for a try for the home side which O'Leary converted for 13-31.

Tarf then cancelled out the score with a converted try of their own for 38-13 before Munsters, to their credit, responded with two tries, from Kegan Christian Cross and a second for Mulcahy. O'Leary also converted one of the tries to leave 13 points between the sides at 25-38.

Clontarf then pushed out their lead by three more points when landing a penalty goal, before Munsters' hit back to secure a bonus point with their fourth try, this time a superb score from Harry Fleming.

O'Leary's conversion left 11 points between the sides, before the Dubliners' eased three more points clear as a further penalty goal saw 'Tarf lead their hosts 44-32.

Battling Young Munster hit back to take a losing bonus point as well as a try bonus point from the game when James Horrigan struck for their fifth try which Shane O'Leary converted to leave five points between the teams at full-time.

In Division 1B, Old Wesley hit the front against Garryowen at Dooradoyle with a penalty goal on 19 minutes from out-half Eoin Monahan and the same player added another penalty to make it 6-0 in the 39th minute.

Home side Garryowen hit back with a penalty goal from Jack Oliver to reduce the Dubliners lead to three points, 3-6, just before half-time. 

And the Light Blues hit the front in first half stoppage time when captain and centre Bryan Fitzgerald struck for the game's opening try. 

The see-saw nature of the scoring continued, however, when Monahan landed a third penalty goal to help Old Wesley into a 9-8 half-time lead. 

The fast start to the second half Garryowen craved arrived when replacement Niall Fitzgerald struck for their second try of the game to help the Dooradoyle side into a 13-9 lead.

A second try from the same player gave the Light Blues some breathing space, before Wesley made it nervy once more for the home supporters when kicking his fourth penalty of the contest for 18-12.

Munster’s Neil Cronin, Jack Oliver and Jack Daly started for Garryowen, with Connacht’s Oran McNulty getting game-time at full-back.

In Division 2A, Old Crescent, who have won just one of their four league fixtures to date, trailed by 13 points 6-19 to leaders Nenagh Ormond at Takumi Park.

Crescent had trailed 6-13 after 35 minutes, their points coming courtesy of two Ronan McKenna penalty goals.

The Tipperary side made the game safe in the final quarter, adding 10 unanswered points, including a penalty goal and converted try, to ease clear at 29-6.

They proved to be the final point of the contest as Old Crescent came away from the contest empty-handed.

Also in Division 2A, UL-Bohemian trailed visitors Greystones 5-9 at half-time at Annacotty.

The Red, Red Robins' opening half points came courtesy of Matt Henry following a powerful maul.

The home side was within a point of the visitors shortly after the restart when Harry Byrne landed a penalty goal for 8-9.

Alan Kiely then landed the winning kick for UL-Bohs with some 15 minutes of the contest remaining.

In Division 2C, Bruff battled back superbly from a disappointing start away to Galwegians at Crowley Park with the South Limerick side falling 0-26 in arrears in the opening half as the home side crossed for four tries. 

To their credit, Bruff hit back with 12 unanswered points to reduce the deficit to 14 points at 12-26. The South Limerick side scored two tries from Cillian Rea, off a well-worked maul, and from winger Gio Sangiorgi, with Sean Kilbridge converting one of them.

Those scores served to really galvanise the Kilballyowen Park side who fought back bravely with 14 more points to earn a thrilling share of the spoils. 

Tom Quigley and Ethan Anderson scored the remaining tries for Bruff, with Kilbridge crucially converting both to earn a dramatic share of the spoils.