It’s sweet 16 apiece as Boyne fight back

Boyne Enniscorthy 16 16

PRE-MATCH title favourites Enniscorthy - seeking a ninth consecutive league win - were stopped in their tracks as Boyne showed great fighting spirit to rescue a draw at Shamrock Lodge last Saturday.

In their previous outing the Drogheda men overturned a 14-point deficit to defeat Dundalk on their own patch, and here they fought back from 13 points down to make virtually certain of their top-flight Leinster League status for next season.

Indeed, a top-four finish and qualification for the All-Ireland Junior Cup now looks a genuine possibility after a run of four wins, a draw and just one defeat from their last six games.

This was a rescheduled fixture after a previous postponement and the weather conditions were not much better, with the 2nds game on the neighbouring pitch called off.

A stiff breeze blowing towards the clubhouse end was accompanied by occasional squalls of rain which the visitors took advantage of in the first half.

But it was still an encounter which provided plenty of excitement and drama and Boyne made a mockery out of their 36-0 drubbing down in Enniscorthy.

This was a rejuvenated Boyne side and although going behind to an early Enniscorthy penalty they settled down to produce some fine passages of rugby.

Their adventurous rugby had the visitors scrambling in defence, but it lacked a cutting edge and despite their enterprising play Boyne found themselves a further three points behind when Enniscorthy were awarded another very kickable penalty in the 10th minute.

Boyne’s efforts did produce a score when their in-form number 8 Karl Keogh landed the first of his four kicks to halve the deficit.

Enniscorthy were content to defend and rely on Boyne errors and their patience was rewarded in the 32nd minute when a series of drives ended with the release of their backs who finished the series of moves with a try which they easily converted.

Trailing 13-3 at the interval, the stiff breeze that had been against Boyne in the first half abated somewhat and they soon had the outstanding Richard Shuttleworth sin-binned for an illegal tackle.

As the second half progressed the visitors grabbed the initiative and Boyne were in frantic mode for a spell as Enniscorthy threw everything into attack, with heroic defence required.

The back row of Rory Hennessy, Keogh and Wilson Twentyman were steadfast and the always reliable Declan Moore at second row put in a great shift also and Enniscorthy’s efforts could only yield one solitary penalty kick which extended their lead to 16-3.

Keogh’s excellent form with the boot kept Boyne’s tally ticking over, though, and he brought his side to nine points with two excellent placed kicks.

At that stage Boyne were restored to 15 men and then it was Enniscorthy’s turn to see yellow in the 63rd minute when their prop was despatched to the bin.

The Drogheda men had weathered the storm and, standing to earn one bonus point, they went in pursuit of more.

Strangely, whilst perhaps not from the easiest of angles, Enniscorthy spurned at least two chances to go for three points with penalties, electing instead to go for touch from which Boyne stole possession and cleared their lines.

Those decisions came back to haunt the visitors and could ultimately cost them the league title after this ever-improving Boyne side got over for an excellent try.

The move started from inside their own half, with the forwards doing the initial spadework, and then there was a series of transfers, with winger Kevin McCleery doing serious damage. Boyne’s mercurial full back Eoghan Duffy then entered the move and touched down for the score and Keogh kept his nerve to draw the sides level with his conversion.

Soon after Enniscorthy were reduced to 13 men as they had a second player yellow-carded, but there was no further scoring and Boyne now look forward to Saturday’s Towns Cup tie in Kilkenny. BOYNE: Eoghan Duffy; Joe Sweeney, Adam Brodigan, Alex Gregory, Kevin McCleery; Tom Francis, Alex Cox; Patrick Shuttleworth, Padraic Mongey, Hugh Carolan; Declan Moore, Richard Shuttleworth; George Cooney, Rory Hennessy, Karl Keogh. Replacements: Gerry Onianwa, John Kinsella, Conor Walsh, Wilson Twentyman, Graeme McQuillan.

TABLE

Ashbourne Enniscorthy Dundalk Boyne Wicklow De La Salle P Gorey Monkstown P 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 W 8 8 7 5 4 4 4 3 D 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 L 3 2 4 5 7 7 7 8 SD 92 127 49 -49 9 -95 -15 -118 BP 9 4 7 4 6 5 4 2 Pts 41 38 35 26 22 21 20 14