Top dogs are going toe to toe

ASHBOURNE continue to lead Division 1A of the Leinster League following their 19-15 home win against Gorey on Saturday.

The victory stretched their advantage at the summit to six points as a result of Enniscorthy’s

13-10 win in Dundalk.

Ross Road in Enniscorthy is the venue when the perennial Division 1A contenders host the leaders in a crucial top-of-the-table clash tomorrow afternoon.

Out-half Adam Martin scored a pair of first-half tries as Ashbourne came from behind to lead

12-5 at the interval in Milltown House on Saturday afternoon against a fired-up Gorey side who had led courtesy of lock Stephen Gardiner’s 25th-minute try.

No 8 Sean McKeown touched down for the Meath club with 10 minutes remaining to put daylight between the teams but that was quickly nullified when winger Lukas Swart scored for the visitors to set up a tense finale in which Ashbourne prevailed.

Enniscorthy and Dundalk played out a scoreless first half at Mill Road before hooker Davie Murphy opened the scoring for the Wexford club soon after the resumption and centre Ivan Poole stretched the lead to 10 points by slotting the conversion and adding a penalty goal by the hour mark.

Winger Robert Williams and hooker Sean Arrowsmith scored late tries for the Louth club either side of another Poole penalty goal as the teams swapped places on the Division 1A table.

Boyne are another in-form team who are currently enjoying a three-game winning streak following their 20-12 home win at Shamrock Lodge over winless Monkstown.

They had to withstand a strong finish from the league’s bottom club before securing the win that moves them up to fifth.

Wicklow got back to winning ways at home in Ashtown Lane after a run of four defeats by beating De La Salle Palmerston

25-15 and seriously denting the Dubliners’ title aspirations.

As well as the top-of-the-table clash in Enniscorthy tomorrow it’s fourth against third when De La Salle Palmerston welcome Dundalk to Kirwan Park, Boyne travel to Clonattin to take on Gorey while Monkstown will be looking for their first win when they host Wicklow at Sydney Parade.