Gorey win by double scores
GOREY 26, BOYNE 13: Round twelve of the Leinster League Division 1A saw Gorey welcome bottom of the table Boyne to Clonattin on Saturday.
Both teams observed a minute’s silence before kick-off after the sudden passing of club stalwart Denise Walsh last week.
With no match for the last four weeks and a number of absentees through injury and work, Gorey struggled to get their game together and looked out of sorts for long periods.
And so it proved, as it was Boyne who crossed for the opening try when, after soaking up the Gorey pressure and holding them scoreless, they found a hole in the defence to run in a fine try.
From the re-start Gorey kept the pressure up and this time they were not as wasteful. With two minutes left in the half and with Boyne pinned in their ‘22, Stephen Duke finally went in under the posts, and he also added the conversion.
It was scant reward as Gorey had dominated the territory but somehow could not convert it into scores.
The second-half saw Gorey up their game and it was not long until they were back in the Boyne ‘22, with Stephen Gardiner and Co. making the hard yards.
A number of phases later and after a number of infringements by Boyne, the referee awarded a penalty try to extend Gorey’s lead.
From the kick-off Boyne found good territory and, after a number of subsequent phases, added a penalty.
Boyne were having a purple patch and after some good phases they crossed for another try to leave just one point between the sides.
But that was as near as they were to get as Gorey turned up the pressure, with some good carries from Killian Breen and Ciarán Allen leading to some solid inter-play as they returned to the Boyne ‘22.
Boyne were struggling to contain Gorey and were penalised on a number of occasions. After a number of five-metre scrums, Gorey’s Stephen Horan finally crossed for their third try, and he was just wide with the conversion.
The final ten minutes saw Gorey go in search of the bonus point as they pinned Boyne back in their ‘22.
With the last play of the game, the referee again deemed too many infringements by the visitors and awarded another penalty try to leave the final score at 26-13.
After a difficult two weeks for the club, it was good to get back on the pitch, with some strong performances in the backs from David O’Neill who was starting his first game for the Seniors, Stephen Horan and Stephen Duke.
Stephen Gardiner, Kevin Browne and man of the match Eddie Horan were the pick of the forwards.
Next week Gorey return to the Towns Cup with an away trip to Naas.
Gorey: C. Allen, E. Walsh, K. Browne, S. Gardiner, T. Jameson (capt.), E. Horan, D. O’Leary, S. Hadden, S. Horan, S. Duke, R. Harrington, J. Rothwell, A. Walsh, M. Duke, D. O’Neill, L. Stephens, K. Breen, L. Molloy, A. O’Brien, D. Bellanova, L. Stephens.