U-18s suffer a dose of déjà vu against Clane
UNDERAGE ACTION
CLANE DUNDALK 10 5
DUNDALK’S Under-18 girls team suffered a bout of deja vu after repeating their previous five-point defeat at the hands of Clane on Saturday.
After a pre-Christmas qualification tournament, this was their first match in Division 1 of the Leinster League and the Louth side were looking to reverse the earlier 5-0 loss which was an enthralling but bruising encounter.
Dundalk started the stronger and spent the first quarter attacking Clane’s excellent defence, but in the Kildare girls held out and in the second quarter broke the away defence to score out wide.
It remained 5-0 going into the break, but Clane doubled their advantage shortly after the restart against the run of play. A breakaway from their own 22 by their winger ended with a terrific cover tackle five metres short of the line by Orlagh Conway, but from the resulting ruck Clane crashed over.
Dogged defence by Dundalk and a try-saving tackle by Caoimhe O’Callaghan which forced a knock-on over the line kept the scoreline at 10-0 and the visitors seemed galvanised.
In the latter stages it was all Dundalk, who twice crossed the Clane line through Caoimhe O’Callaghan and Aoife McGeough but were held up and unable to ground the ball.
All the pressure eventually led to Meadhbh O’Callaghan crashing over in the corner to make it 10-5.
Dundalk kept the pressure on which led to a series of penalties in the final 10 minutes on the five-metre line.
They battered away at the Clane’s excellent defence held out to the final whistle.
Next up this Saturday is a home game match against Enniscorthy.
DUNDALK: Meadbhb O’Callaghan, Aoife Holmes, Sadhbh McDonnell; Kate Flynn, Grainne Boyle; Aima Idogho, Ashling Mathews, Aoife McGeough; Cloda Flynn, Klara Hjalmers; Natasha Guest, Eva Toal, Orlagh Conway, Caoimhe O’Callaghan; Niamh Belton.