Tullamore were the visitors on Sat last and their experienced 2nd’s panel overwhelmed a young Dundalk outfit who are just finding their feet at this level. There is a good future for this team but the transition period will bring it’s ups and downs as they gather experience.
The Tullamore fifteen started this match with great intent and within fifteen minutes were 21-3 ahead. For their first try the referee did not spot the linesman’s flag and allowed play to go on resulting in a try for the Tullamore number13 which was converted. From the kick off they gathered the ball and scored a breakaway try, again converted. Dundalk were awarded a penalty for offside and Donal Clare slotted it over, giving Dundalk some hope. However Tullamore came straight back with another converted try.In the 28th minute they added another converted try.
Dundalk,in fairness to them, kicked a penalty to touch and from the ensuing lineout drove towards the Tullamore line. David Mc Gee got over for a try which Sam Mulligan converted. The kick off did not go the requisite 10 metres and from the scrum Dundalk pressed with a kick ahead which went dead. Dundalk were awarded a penalty for an offside but Sam Mulligan’s effort was just wide. This was a good period of the game for Dundalk with Donal Clare kicking well and John White doing well in the tight. Poor hands in this period cost us a try. Tullamore struck again in the 38th minute with another converted try. Dundalk fought back gamely and when a grubber kick bounced off a Tullamore player and they followed up only great defending by Brian Tansey and full back Robert Shields saved a certain score.
The second half was no kinder to the home team with the Tullamore full back scoring a try 3 minutes into the half and this was followed by two further tries. Conor Williams must have had a personal best in the tackling stakes as he tried to stem the opposition attacks. Tommy Thornton was again a trojan worker in the pack and Doatas Jonkus made a magnificent break upfield following brave tackling on the Dundalk line which had held out the Tullamore attack.
Injury began to take it’s toll and following an injury to Laurence Steen the scrums went uncontested. Fergal Duffy came on a scrum half with Mulligan moving to out half and hard tackling Simon Byrne moving to the centre. A good move saw Duffy and Mulligan release Dan O Connell to score another Dundalk try which went unconverted. Further injury led to Laurence Steen coming back on to the field where he made great efforts in attack and in clearing out rucks.
Dundalk were exerting some pressure at this time but Tullamore came at them again and only desperate Dundalk defending held them out. As Dundalk tired, Tullamore, in one last attack and after a number of phases broke clear to score the final try.
Dundalk: R.Shields, C Mc Geady,D O Connell, B. Tansey, D Mc Guinness, D. Clare, S Mulligan, J White, L. Steen, P. Kerley, S. Crawford, T. Thornton, S Mc Eneaney, D, Jonkus, D Mc Gee, C. Williams, C. Kane, S. Byrne, S Matthews, F. Duffy.
