Three Limerick clubs record vital All-Ireland League wins

THERE were three Limerick wins on Saturday as action in the Energia All-Ireland League resumed after a short break.

In Division 1A, resilient Young Munster maintained their top four play-off hopes after securing a dramatic 25-24 come-from-behind victory over Dublin University at College Park. It was a second win on the bounce for Munsters' who had defeated holders Clontarf in their previous outing at Clifford Park.

Fifth-placed Munsters' sit eighth points behind fourth-placed Clontarf in the battle to secure play-off places.

Also in Division 1A, eighth-placed Shannon picked up their second win since their return to the top flight when easing past UCD 36-24 on the back pitch at Thomond Park. The precious bonus point success has seen the Parish side jump ahead of the Belfield students in the 1A table and move out of the relegation zone. 

The results increase the stakes for next Saturday evening's Limerick derby meeting of Shannon and Young Munster in Division 1A of the Energia All-Ireland League at Thomnd Park, 5pm.

Also in Division 1A on Saturday basement side Garryowen picked up a try bonus point in their 47-28 defeat to Lansdowne on the back pitch at the Aviva Stadium. Garryowen are still searching for their first win of the campaign after seven series of fixtures and have picked up just two bonus points to date this season.

In Division 2A, Old Crescent had to make do with a losing bonus point from their hard fought 14-8 defeat to Cashel at Spafield. 

Crescent, who have won two of their opening seven league games, remain in eighth place in the league table.

Also in 2A, basement side UL-Bohemian are still searching for their first win of the campaign after going down 26-31 to high-flying Blackrock College at Annacotty.

The Red, Red Robins did pick up two valuable bonus points in the game, but remain rooted to the foot of the table, four points off ninth-placed Dolphin.

In Division 2C, Bruff scored a precious 10-3 victory over Sunday's Well at Musgrave Park to jump up to fifth place in the league table.

For Young Munsters bid to secure back-to-back AIL wins, Munster’s Patrick Campbell featured at full-back for the Limerick side at College Park. Shay McCarthy switched to midfield with Donnchadh O’Callaghan directing operations from scrum half.

Sean Rigney joined Munster’s Eoin O’Connor in the engine room, and there were starts in the front row for George Jacobs and Queenslander Paulo Leleisiuao.

Dublin University led the contest 7-3 after 10 minutes at College Park, Munsters' points coming courtesy of an Evan Cusack penalty goal.

Back came Munsters' to score their opening try of the contest through Dan Walsh. Cusack's conversion had the visitors 10-7 in front before Trinity notched their second try of the game to edge into the lead at 12-10.

However, the see-saw nature of the scoring continued before half-time with a further Cusack penalty edging Munsters' into a narrow 13-12 lead at half-time.

The complexion of the game changed in the second half as Trinity hit back with two tries, one of which was converted.

A Gavin Jones try helped Dublin University move 17-13 in front before Ronan Quinn dotted down. The successful conversion moved Trinity into a sizeable 24-13 advantage.

However, resilient Munsters' were not done yet, far from it, and after the students collapsed a powerful maul, the visitors were awarded a penalty try to cut the deficit to four points, 20-24.

The drama wasn't over. Munsters' completed a thrilling victory when Munster winger Conor Phillips blitzed his way up the left wing, before touching down for a match-winning try and a one-point success, 25-24.

It has been a positive few weeks for Shannon who, following up on their first top flight win since 2019, gained two bonus points away to high-flying Dublin University. 

Munster Academy pair Ethan Coughlan and Kieran Ryan started again for Shannon in their latest fixture, with prop Cathal Hynes and lock David Maher their only personnel changes for the visit of UCD

Shannon led the game 21-5 at half-time on Thomond Park's back pitch. The Parish side scored three first half tries.

Kieran Ryan grabbed the opening try and the home side was also awarded a penalty try to move 14-0 in front. 

The home side added a third try on 26 minutes with Mike Cooke adding the conversion for a significant 21-0 lead.

UCD managed a try before half time to leave 16 points between the sides at the break.

UCD made the most of yellow card trouble for Shannon in the third quarter, hitting back with two tries, one of which was converted to leave just four points between the sides, 21-17.

Shannon desperately needed to stem the flow of student scores and the home side managed it when landing a crucial penalty goal to stretch their advantage to seven points, 24-17.

However, UCD hit back once more and a converted try had the students level, 24-24, after 66 minutes.

To their credit, Shannon recovered from that body blow, with Jamie McGarry going over for a 70th minute try to secure the bonus point and build a 29-24 lead.

The home side tightened their grip on the game in the 77th minute when out-half Mike Cooke intercepted a pass and ran in for a crucial five-pointer.

John O'Sullivan also converted to push the home side into a 12-point advantage, 36-24, a lead they maintained until full-time.

At the back pitch at the Aviva Stadium, wind-assisted Lansdowne hit Garryowen with five tries inside the opening half an hours to storm into a sizeable 33-0 advantage.

The Dubliners had won just one of their six AIL top flight fixtures this season prior to kick-off.

Garryowen did manage to open their account after the restart with a converted try to trail 7-33. However, the home side asserted their superiority once again when pouncing for their sixth try of the afternoon and a 40-7 lead.

The Light Blues crossed the whitewash for a second time in the final quarter to reduce their arrears to 26 points, 14-40.

And to their credit, the Dooradoyle side then added a third converted try to eat further into Lansdowne's advantage at 21-40.

The sides then swapped tries before full-time - Garryowen's five pointer securing a bonus point - as their search for a first win of the AIL season is extended. The Garryowen tries were scored by Henry Buttimer and Jack Delaney while Brian Gleeson bagged a brace. Delaney also added four conversions.

Old Crescent trailed Cashel 3-14 at half-time at Spafield in their Division 2A Munster derby fixture.

Ronan McKenna kicked a penalty goal for Crescent in the opening 40 minutes, but the home side scored two tries, the second of which was a penalty try.

An unconverted try deep into injury time by Cathal Monaghan helped Crescent secure a losing bonus point. It proved to be the only score of the second period.

A first league win had eluded UL Bohemians head coach Ian Keatley across the opening six rounds of the AIL Division 2A season ahead of the visit of Blackrock College to Annacotty.

The Red, Red Robins had picked up bonus points against Ballymena, Dolphin and Old Crescent.

After Blackrock took an early lead with a try at Annacotty, UL-Bohemian hit back to lead 7-5 after 10 minutes with a try from Eoin Sweeney from a tap penalty which was also converted.

The Dubliners then grabbed a second try to regain the lead at 12-7, before the home side hit back with Paul Clancy weaving his way past several players to score. Harry Byrne also added the conversion and the Limerick side now led 14-12.

A third 'Rock try before the break had them 17-14 to the good at half-time in an exciting contest.

A further converted try for 'Rock off a chip and chase saw the Stradbrook side move 10 points in front, 24-14. 

Back came UL-Bohs with Kieran O’Shea dotting down to leave three points between the team 24-21.

Free-scoring Rock then increased their lead to 10 points once again when scoring a further try which was also converted.

A bonus point try off a well-executed maul for UL-Bohs' halved the Blackrock advantage to just five points, 26-31, with 10 minutes remaining.

UL-Bohs were unable to bridge the gap during the remaining minutes of the contest at the home side had to be content with taking two bonus points from the game.

Meanwhile, Bruff got back to winning ways in Division 2C when accounting for Sunday's Well on Leeside.

The game remained scoreless at half-time, before the 'Well hit the front 10 minutes into the second half with a penalty. However, Bruff, who dominated territory drew level through a Paul Collins penalty.

The Limerick side struck for the game's only try through Warren Loulanting with Paul Collins converting to seal the seven point win. Bruff will feel that they should have won the game by a greater margin. However, their inability to convert a number of scoring opportunities hampered their progress.