Enniscorthy miss out
Cup final comeback falls short after bad start
ASHBOURNE ENNISCORTHY 16 11
CONSIDERING THE start they had, it was always going to take a supreme effort for Enniscorthy to dethrone the holders, but in the end Ashbourne worked their way through some difficult passages to hold out for a five-point victory in this physical All-Ireland Junior Club Cup final played in miserable conditions at Edenderry on Saturday.
The real talking point of this final was the barnstorming start of the Meath side, seeking to make it three cups in a row, as by the 16th minute, with the aid of a stiff breeze, they had shot into a 13-0 lead.
Having taken first advantage of the elements, they produced some powerful forward play, and but for desperate defending by Enniscorthy they could have stretched even further clear.
Enniscorthy, no doubt, did not expect such an early challenge from their arch-rivals.
They were hit for the opening try after just four minutes, when defensive errors and the spilling of the ball left Ashbourne in an attacking position close to the line.
Retaining possession, the pack showed strength and cohesion as they drove over the line for a morale-boosting try.
Enniscorthy tried to rebound from this early setback, but they were finding difficulty in even getting into Ashbourne territory, such was the power and tempo of their opponents.
The Cathedral town side had to defend in numbers as David Murphy, Tom Ryan, Nick Doyle and Timmy Morrissey got in the tackles, while the half-back pairing of out-half Ivan Poole and scrum-half Arthur Dunne were now beginning to utilise their limited possession toliftthesiege.
Down 7-0, it was turning into an engrossing forward battle after that opening try which was credited to Mark Rooney following a tremendous forward drive. Scrumhalf Gavin Kennedy added the conversion.
Kennedy pushed that out to 10-0 with a penalty after Enniscorthy were penalised in a scrum.
Enniscorthy were coming under pressure in the scrum and fell foul of the referee once again, leaving Kennedy to successfully kick the penalty for a scoreline of 13-0 after just 16 minutes.
The favourites were left with much to do if they were to get back into this game.
With serious questions being asked of them, Enniscorthy began to turn this into an engrossing battle, as they kicked their way deep into Ashbourne territory through the accurate boot of Poole.
Having been held up short on the line on a couple of occasions, there appeared more fluency in their play.
As half-time approached, Enniscorthy sought out a morale-boosting score.
Hooker David Murphy made a couple of driving runs as he tested the Ashbourne resistance.
With Poole’s kick having got his side inside the ‘22, they were held up just short of the line with some driving play.
Having kept possession, they moved the ball swiftly along the line before left winger David O’Dwyer powered his way through several tackles to get over in the corner.
Poole was narrowly wide with his conversion attempt off the touchline, but the score was a real boost for Enniscorthy despite the fact they still trailed 13-5 at the interval.
On the re-start Enniscorthy had to absorb some early Ashbourne pressure, but there was more fluency now to their play as they began to execute some hard-won possession.
With the front row now looking more comfortable in the scrum, and with captain Tom Ryan leading the way with some driving play, they forced themselves deep inside Ashbourne territory.
As Ashbourne had to face more pressure, they were eventually penalised for a ruck infringement, leaving Ivan Poole to kick the resulting penalty to make it 13-8 after 48 minutes.
Now within a score of their opponents, Enniscorthy began to pile on the pressure but they came up against some blanket defending from the leaders who succeeded in keeping their line intact.
Enniscorthy offered all kinds of variations in an effort to break the holders’ defence.
After some fine play, all they had to show was a further Poole penalty after 58 minutes, after Ashbourne were penalised for offside in a ruck, leaving just two points separating the sides (13-11).
But a key moment arrived just one minute later. Enniscorthy, having gathered the re-start, were harshly penalised in the ruck, leaving Kennedy to stretch Ashbourne’s lead out to 16-11.
This was of huge assistance to the Meath combination who, despite the late Eniscorthy pressure, looked comfortable as they held out for a victory and their third cup in a row.
Enniscorthy must now return to league action and secure their Division 1A title, as they are runaway leaders at the moment, while they also have the Provincial Towns Cup to look forward to.
While they will be disappointed at their failure to lift the cup, they can take real consolation from the manner of their fightback after such a disastrous start.
Enniscorthy: Richard Dunne; Ivan Jacob, Daniel Pim, Killian Lett, David O’Dwyer; Ivan Poole, Arthur Dunne; Angelo Todisco, David Murphy, Paddy Waters; Nick Doyle, Tom Ryan (capt.); Luke Cummins, Timmy Morrissey, Brian Bolger. Replacements: Alan Jacob for Cummins (57), Liam Stamp for Bolger (68).
Ashbourne: Patrick Murtagh; Colm Craigie, Jack O’Brien, Mark Rooney, Matthew Connelly; Donal Crotty, Gavin Kennedy (capt.); Mark Behan, Daniel Norton, Ciarán Roche; Seán Kent, Conor Hurley; Justin Whittaker, Simon Deevy, Seán McKeon. Replacements: Brendan Meehan for Norton (46), Alan Wall for Roche (56), Jake Wall for Whittaker (70).
Referee: Oisín Quinn (I.R.F.U.).