Rathdrum pip Wesley
RATHDRUM RFC OLD WESLEY 18 13
THIS was a game for the rugby purists but Rathdrum won’t care too much as they registered their first league win since October with a hard fought victory at home to promotion chasing Old Wesley.
The game was an 80 minute arm wrestle and both forward packs put in a serious shift in difficult under-foot conditions at the Ivy Leaf.
Old Wesley opened the scoring after 20 minutes with a try scored from a pick and go inside the Rathdrum 5 metre line.
The try was converted and it looked like it might be a long day at the office for the home side but they responded with a Conor Parsons penalty after 25 minutes to reduce the deficit to four points.
Rathdrum applied the pressure to Wesley for the following ten minutes and following a number of hard carries inside Wesleys 22 from Calvin Swords, Danny Dowling and Matt Binnions, Steven Dowling went over from all of two yards to put the home side in front for the first time. Parsons converted to leave the score 10-7 to Rathdrum.
Wesley upped their game immediately before halftime and they ground out a kickable penalty and duly converted to leave the game evenly poised at 10 a piece at the interval.
There were calm heads at half time in the Rathdrum huddle as they knew there was an opportunity for them in the second half.
The home side came out with confidence at the start of the second half and took the game to their opposition.
The home sides scrum was setting a platform for their attack with strong displays from Noelie Cross, Ronan Smith and Ciaran Phelan. Alongside the evergreen Morgan Sheridan, Ronan Phelan was setting the targets for the home side in the midfield and this allowed Rathdrum to get in to scoring range on a number of occasions.
Shane Burch found himself in the right place at the right time and from a short pick and go he burrowed his way over for the home sides second try of the game.
Parsons was wide with the conversion but Rathdrum now had a lead they would hold for the remainder of the game.
Following great work from Karl Phelan and Aonghus O’Bhrian, Rathdrum were awarded a penalty five minutes later and Parsons duly converted from 50 metres out to bring the score to 18-10.
Old Wesley did respond with a penalty of their own and this set up a tense finish to the game for the home side.
Wesley dominated procession for the last 15 minutes of the game as they knew a loss would hinder their chances of a top two league finish.
To their credit they threw everything at the home side but Rathdrum dug deep and defended for their lives.
With Henry Bradshaw, Smith, Shane Byrne and Danny Dowling enjoying the physical nature of the final few minutes, Wesley just could not break Rathdrum’s defensive line.
Neil Short’s men held on defiantly for the hard earned win and move themselves up the table in the Metro Division 4 league.
Next up for Rathdrum is an important away clash against Stillorgan on the 18th of February followed by their second round Provincial Cup game away to old rivals Tullow on the 25th of February.
Ronan Smith, Noel Cross, Ciaran Phelan, Matt Binnions, Shane Burch, Liam De Hora, Calvin Swords, Danny Dowling, Steven Dowling, Ronan Phelan, Karl Phelan, Morgan Sheridan, Conor Shane Byrne, Aonghus O’Briain, Conor Parsons, Henry Bradshaw, Ray Cooke.