UCD 20
Shannon 24
UCD scorers
Tries: Bobby Sheehan, Andy Marks
Cons: Cillian Burke (2)
Pens: Cillian Burke (2)
Shannon scorers
Tries: Eathon Moloney, Jack Stafford, Pa Ryan
Cons: Ben Daly (3)
Pen: Ben Daly
Eathon Moloney, Jack Stafford and Pa Ryan all crossed for tries as Shannon won 24-20 at Belfield to complete back-to-back league victories over UCD.
Despite a spirited second half showing from the students, Shannon held out to leapfrog both UCD and Dublin University into fifth place in Division 1A. Three Jake Flannery penalties had seen Shannon prevail 9-8 when the sides met at Thomond Park last month, but he was missing today along with fellow Ireland Under-20 call-ups, Craig Casey and Luke Masters.
UCD’s Michael Milne, Scott Penny, Charlie Ryan and Aaron O’Sullivan were also absent after making the Ireland Under-20 Six Nations squad, although Penny’s brother Alex captained the team from openside flanker. The early exchanges were tight and tense and dominated by the forwards, Stephen Murphy kicking for territory but Shannon responding with a scrum penalty.
The visitors took an 11th minute lead through young number 10 Ben Daly’s 30-metre penalty, rewarding his pack for a solid spell of carrying. With Penny leading by example, UCD levelled through the boot of winger Cillian Burke, and he landed a second place-kick in the 28th minute with the home forwards making an impact in the loose.
However, Shannon snapped back at the students with two tries before half-time. A delicate chip over the top played in the pacy Moloney, who beat Brian Cawley in a footrace. Daly converted and then his Munster-capped half-back partner Jack Stafford found space on the right to notch try number two.
Trailing 17-6 at the turnaround, UCD kept Shannon at bay early in the second half and some impressive ball retention of their own led to the sin-binning of a Shannon forward. The numerical advantage led to hooker Bobby Sheehan scoring under a pile of bodies just shy of the hour mark. Burke converted to make it a four-point deficit.
Shannon showed no signs of panicking and after a pushover score failed to materialise in the right corner, the ball was moved into midfield where replacement Ryan dived over in style for his try. Daly converted again and Shannon did well to close out the game in control, albeit with UCD gaining a losing bonus point thanks to Andy Marks’ late try following a series of five-metre drives.
UCD: Tim Carroll; Andy Marks, Gavin Mullin, Paul Kiernan, Cillian Burke; Stephen Murphy, Nick Peters; Sam Griffin, Bobby Sheehan, Liam Hyland, Brian Cawley, Emmet MacMahon, Cian Prendergast, Alex Penny (capt), Ronan Foley.
Replacements: Sean Molony, JP Phelan, Keelan McKenna, Tom Foley, James Tarrant.
Shannon: Jamie McGarry; Stephen Fitzgerald, Robbie Deegan, Jack O’Donnell, Eathon Moloney; Ben Daly, Jack Stafford; Conor Glynn, Ty Chan, Tony Cusack, Luke Moylan, Jade Kriel (capt), Kelvin Brown, Charlie Carmody, Colm Heffernan.
Replacements: Adam Moloney, Ciaran Parker, Odhran Ring, Aran Hehir, Pa Ryan.