AIL-ing Boyne are brought down to earth

BOYNE’S six-year stay in the All-Ireland League is finally over after they were humbled on their own patch by a more clinical Omagh side on Saturday last.

An encouraging opening-quarter performance by Graeme Eastwood’s charges wasn’t reflected on the scoreboard, and although the hosts did fight back and briefly hold the lead, they were ultimately undone by some poor discipline, missed tackles and a malfunctioning lineout.

The end result is that the Drogheda club will be plying their trade back in the Leinster League next season, rejoining the likes of Dundalk who were relegated out of the AIL 12 months ago.

All the early signs coming from Shamrock Lodge were encouraging, however, as Boyne’s strong back division made a couple of clean breaks and Omagh were pinned back in their own half.

A lineout infringement handed Niall Kerbey a fourth-minute penalty chance, but his kick came back off the inside of the upright. Ben Dunphy was quickest to the rebound, but as play was swung wide there was a knock-on and the opportunity of a try was lost.

Boyne had another sight of the opposition line on 10 minutes when Brian Howell showed searing pace to gather Eoghan Duffy’s clearance kick after one bounce and release Kevin McCleery on his shoulder, but the winger was eventually bundled into touch on the Omagh 22.

Shortly after, Omagh’s line was under threat again when Duffy made a stunning break from inside his own half, weaving his way past five would-be tacklers, but with a three-on-two situation and both Adam Brodigan and Howell outside him Duffy opted to go himself and had the ball ripped from his grasp when the tackle came.

That wasted opportunity would come back to haunt Boyne as Omagh made full use of their first scoring opportunity of the game on 22 minutes, Neil Brown going in under the posts for a try which was converted by Lee Murphy.

When Howell was controversially sin-binned soon after, the game seemed to be slipping away from Boyne, but Murphy missed the resulting kick and Kerbey opened the home side’s account on 32 minutes with a well-struck penalty after Omagh strayed offside.

Then, with Howell back on the field, a sweeping backline move ended with Duffy bursting through a gap and offloading to McCleery who was tackled into touch short of the line.

At that point the touch judge signalled for an Omagh infringement and Kerbey slotted over another excellent kick from the sideline to make game.

In stoppage time Murphy inexplicably dropped a short-range penalty kick short of the posts and so Omagh took that slender 7-6 lead into the interval.

Boyne lost their talisman and place-kicker Kerbey with a leg injury at the break, but nevertheless they were on the front foot straight from the kick-off, with the impressive Rory Hennessy at number 8 proving a particular adept ball-carrier.

Another Duffy burst, with replacement Robbie Brodigan in support, gave the hosts field position on the opposition 22. then, with the lineout ball secured, Boyne captain George Cooney reached for the line and was tackled but not released, allowing stand-in kicker McCleery to kick the home side into a 9-7 lead.

Omagh, who haven’t played All-Ireland League rugby in 20 years, responded in fine style, though, and when questions were asked of them Boyne couldn’t come up with the answers.

Scott Elliott edged the Ulster side back in front after Boyne were penalised for a high tackle, and then prop John Kinsella was sent to the bin for a similar offence.

This time Omagh went for the jugular, turning down the kick at goal to go for territory, from which they scored their second try, Elliott managing to wriggle out of three tackles to stretch for the line and touch down. The full back converted himself to stretch it a one-point Omagh’s lead to 17-9.

The visitors were penalised on 57 minutes for not rolling away after a tackle on Boyne prop Jerry Onianwa, but this time McCleery skewed his kick right and wide.

Yet another high tackle - this time by Omagh’s Alan Heaney on Joe Sweeney - allowed McCleery to kick to the corner, but that attack came to nothing and even with an extra man for a short time they couldn’t make a breakthrough.

The scrum continued to perform well - Omagh were pushed back some 10 metres from their own put-in at one stage - but Boyne couldn’t turn their superiority in that facet of the game into scores and their supporters began to fear the worst as the clock ticked on.

On the 70-minute mark Omagh effectively secured promotion and consigned Boyne to the drop, albeit with a large dose of good fortune.

A chip over the home defence by Omagh scrum half Stewart McCain took a horrible bounce to wrong-foot Duffy, allowing Adam Pollock to win the race to the touchdown, although there was a suggestion that Duffy had managed to put downward pressure on the ball first.

Crucially, Elliott nailed the conversion and that put Omagh three scores ahead at 24-9.

McCleery’s restart kick didn’t go anywhere near the required 10 metres, resulting in an Omagh scrum back on half-way, and the visitors rubbed further salt in Boyne’s wounds with a fourth try through Elliott right at the death.