Fifth spot for Greystones after mixed season
A fifth-place finish for Greystones is how the history books will record the conclusion of the 2019/20 AIL Division 2B campaign due to the premature close of all rugby activity in recent weeks with no promotion or relegation from any of the five All Ireland league divisions.
It was very much a mixed season for the Dr Hickey Park first team who opened with a solid away win at newly promoted Malahide and then went on to record five wins in a row before a 19-20 home defeat to Sligo in the middle of November.
They followed up with two further victories including a home win against Blackrock in the Christmas fixture to end the first half of the season top of the league and looking good for a place in the promotion shake up at the end of the season.
After Christmas the weather turned sour and so did the results. Blackrock inflicted a reverse in Stradbrook in awful conditions and each of the following four matches were played into the teeth of the worst of the winter storms, conditions that ’Stones failed to cope with as well as their opposition, suffering a run of five successive defeats. A dreadful run of injuries which seriously depleted the squad during this period did not help the side either.
When the league was suspended the squad were primed to turn their fortunes around facing into away match at Belfast Harlequins but that was never played and the final table shows a record of having played 14, won seven and lost seven in fifth position.
‘On behalf of club captain Killian Marmion and the senior squad, we extend thanks to coaches Kevin Lewis, Cillian Willis, Warren O’Kelly, S&C Olan Savage, physio Cameron McKeever and the whole backroom team led by manager Paul Lennon for their support throughout a difficult campaign,’ said the club