Third loss on the trot for struggling Dundalk side
LEINSTER LEAGUE DIVISION 1A
THE second half of the season is proving much tougher for Dundalk RFC as Adam Doyle’s side suffered their third defeat on the bounce away to Seapoint on Saturday in what is the club’s last game of 2019.
While Dundalk remain second in the table, the gap to the chasing pack has closed considerably. There are now just seven points between Dundalk in second and Seapoint, second from bottom.
The day started off well for Dundalk with the seconds edging a tough 43-36 game but the momentum didn’t carry through to the first team. Adam Doyle’s side were hampered by a real lack of bodies, Kiwi Willie Schultz being one. In fact they only had two players on the bench as they are undergoing a mini injury crisis.
In cold and windy conditions Dundalk were caught cold on five minutes with the hosts going over for the first try. While the two
Ashbourne Dundalk Suttonians Kilkenny Bective Rangers Seapoint Gorey Wicklow
P 10 10 9 10 10 10 9 10
W 9 6 5 5 4 4 4 2
D 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
L 1 4 4 5 6 6 5 8
F A Pts 262 131 41 186 209 27 205 196 26 199 223 25 209 162 25 182 199 21 153 160 20 145 261 10
teams felt each other out it was Seapoint who proved the most clinical.
The conversion was pulled wide though. The game proved to be very tight up front and Dundalk almost replied instantly. From the Seapoint restart Dundalk moved the ball quickly through their back row and Robbie Williams was stopped short.
James McConnon was making some huge tackles in the middle of the pitch, Seapoint were happy to try and box kick their way up field.
The two teams traded penalties but it was Dundalk who managed to take advantage of theirs. Darragh Conroy split the posts to make it a two-point game on 30 minutes.
The hosts regained their five point lead just five minutes later from a penalty.
Conroy again converted a penalty of his own to send his team in marginally behind at the break on a score of 8-6. The hosts burst through 15 minutes into the second half for their second try of the game and this time they nailed the conversion.
Things went from bad to worse as they lost Conroy to injury with 20 minutes to go and on came Connor Williams to take over the kicking duty. Either side of the change though the Dubliners tacked on two further tries to secure their bonus point.
The visitors only try of the game came on 70 minutes when Jack Connolly crossed and Williams tacked on the extras.
Five minutes from time Seapoint got their fifth try of the game and the conversion made It 34-13.
DUNDALK: Johnny Gray, Sean Arrowsmith, Robert Farrell, Enda Murphy, Caoilin Treanor, James McConnon, Laurence Steen, Tiernan Gonnolly, Darragh Conroy, Gauthier Petit, Andrew Williams, Johnny Williams, Jack Connolly, Paddy Reilly, Robbie Williams Reps: John Smith, Conor Williams.