Munster league champions Thomond RFC book All-Ireland League qualifier final spot
Thomond set up final meeting with Bective Rangers after semi-final win over Dromore
MUNSTER Junior League Division 1 champions Thomond RFC qualified for the next Saturday’s All-Ireland Provincial League Championship final after securing a hard fought 17-10 semi-final win over Dromore, of Ulster, at Cill Dara RFC on Saturday last.
Thomond, who are now one win away from making a return to Division 2C the energia All-Ireland League, will take on Bective Rangers in next weekend's final following the Leinster side's 40-20 semi-final success over Creggs, of Connacht.
Should Thomond lose Saturday's play-off final, they will have a second opportunity to qualify for Division 2C of the All-Ireland League the following weekend when facing an away date with Omagh who finished second-from-bottom in Division 2C this season.
Back-to-back Munster Junior champions Thomond outscored their Co Down opponents Dromore by three tries to two on Saturday.
In securing victory, Thomond avenged a 32-16 defeat to Dromore from the opening round of the All-Ireland Junior Cup.
Kevin O’Mahony’s Thomond side were ultra consistent in emerging again as the team to beat in Munster, registering a maximum 13 bonus point wins. Prior to kick-off on Saturday, the Limerick men have had nine tries each from full-back Jamie McGarry and scrum half Evan Maher.
The Fitzgerald Park side led Dromore 12-10 at half-time in Cill Dara RFC on Saturday.
Thomond took the lead courtesy of an intercept try from Eoghain Sherlock, which was converted by Jason Kiely.
A Jason Kiely try for the Limerick side had them 12-5 to the good, before Dromore crossed the whitewash for the second time in the game to leave two points between the teams at the interval.
The crucial score of the game arrived early in the second half when full-back Jamie McGarry crossed for his 10th try of the season.
Thomond managed to retain their seven point advantage until full-time and with it secure a place in next weekend's play-off final where they will face Energia All-Ireland Junior Cup champions and Leinster Junior League Division 1A winners Bective.
THOMOND 17 DROMORE 10, Cill Dara RFC
Scorers: Thomond: Tries: Eoghain Sherlock, Jason Kiely, Jamie McGarry; Con: Jason Kiely
Dromore: Tries: Adam McDonald, Gary Dillon
HT: Thomond 12 Dromore 10
THOMOND: Jamie McGarry; Luke Costello, Josh Dillon, Jason Kiely, Cilian Moughty; Eoghain Sherlock, Evan Maher; Rian Burke, Colin Slater, Werner Kruger, Sean Malone, Sean Kelly, Riann O’Dwyer, Ryain O’Donovan Ahern, Kealan McMahon (capt). Replacements:Kian McGrath, Sean Rice, Seaghan Gleeson, Morgan Bateman, Makz Zerdel, Colin McCarthy, Joe O’Toole, Andrew Lyons, Jack O’Shea, Aidan Quinlivan.
DROMORE: Adam McDonald; Andrew Rutledge, Aaron Stewart, Dean Dillon, Jonny Hunter; Adam Keating, Lee Steenson; Adam Hanna, Harry Long, Andrew Black, Ross Bingham, Matthew McMaster, Richard Dickson, Ryan Hughes (capt), Gary Dillon. Replacements: Rory Stewart, Ross Stewart, Mark Hylands, Matthew Thompson, Ben Carey, Jack Dillon, Josh Brame, Josh Patterson.