Eastwood has no relegation worries after derby victory
BOYNE coach Graeme Eastwood feels his team have done enough to stave off the threat of relegation, following Saturday’s dramatic 32-25 Leinster League victory over Dundalk.
After dropping down from the All-Ireland League last spring, Boyne suffered four defeats in their opening five games but have won four out of five since then to move into the top half of the Division 1A table.
They remain only four points clear of the relegation play-off position with four matches remaining, the first two of which are at home to the leading title contenders Enniscorthy and Ashbourne. However, Eastwood feels relaxed about the situation and is targeting a top-four finish and qualification for next season’s All-Ireland Junior Cup.
When it was put to him that Boyne still had a lot of work to do to retain their 1A status, Eastwood responded: ‘After that I don’t think so. We have a game in hand and three out of the last four are home games and we’ll relish that.
‘I believe that, if other results go our way, that we’ll end up in fourth spot with a game in hand, so we’re not looking anywhere else.’
The Tyrone native felt Boyne’s hard work on the training ground stood to them in the closing stages at Mill Road, just as their neighbours Dundalk appeared to be flagging.
‘No we didn’t see that [comeback] coming at 17-3 at halftime, but we kept the faith,’ he replied.
‘We started poorly - I think one of the scores they got was a knock-on from a missed penalty - but we knew we had the tank if we stayed within touching distance, and with the wind behind our backs we knew we could score tries, and we did that today.
‘We knew we had the skill and we had the fitness to take them on. We worked hard over Christmas - we had only about four days off at Christmas - and we proved our fitness levels and energy in the second half.
‘Our forwards stood up, we emptied it up front and I think we deserved everything we got.’
Kevin McCleery’s brace of tries in the second half, one of which was a fine individual effort, helped turn the tables on Dundalk and Eastwood had praise for the left wing as well as the team as a whole.
‘He did have a lot to do [to score the second try], so fair play to him for getting it. I had a good chat with him last night and he said that he knew we needed a big performance and he gave me it, so well done to the boys and we’re going to enjoy this one.’
Attention will now turn to next Sunday’s Towns Cup first-round tie away to Kilkenny, who are challenging hard for promotion to the top flight, having won eight of their 10 Division 1B games to date.
Since 2010 Boyne have had to field their second XV in this knockout competition because of their All-Ireland League status, but having returned to the provincial ranks this year they will have their strongest team available and on current form can’t be discounted.
With an important league game against Enniscorthy to come just six days later, Boyne - the 2009 and 2010 Towns Cup winners - could be forgiven for looking beyond the Kilkenny clash, but Eastwood insisted that won’t be the case.
‘We’ll take that form [against Dundalk] into next week in the Towns Cup,’ he responded.
‘We have a game in hand as well in the league, and with four games to go the boys are well up for it.
‘Of course we’ll give it our best shot. With the history of this club in the Towns Cup, we’re going next week with the same attitude as today and we’re looking for a win.’
And with that Eastwood rushed to the Mill Road dressing-rooms to join the Boyne celebrations following their dramatic win.
DIVISION 1A