Soroka try opens floodgates for defending champions

Clontarf 28 UCD 5

Defending champions Clontarf returned to winning ways at Castle Avenue, where a second-half scoring blitz helped to kill off the challenge of UCD in a ‘Friday Night Lights’ Ulster Bank League encounter.

In extremely wet conditions, try-scoring opportunities were few and far between early on. Two David Joyce penalties gave ‘Tarf a six-point cushion, before College winger Andy Boyle crossed following excellent link-up play with Garry Ringrose on the half-hour mark.

Out-half Liam Bourke’s conversion was off-target, though, and another Joyce penalty gave the hosts a 9-5 half-time lead.

Brave UCD defensive work did frustrate Clontarf during the third quarter, but prop Ivan Soroka eventually broke their resistance by driving over on 62 minutes.

This opened the floodgates, and converted tries from Matt D’Arcy and Tom Byrne eased the champions towards their third triumph of the campaign.