A reality check for Boyne in Wexford
Enniscorthy Boyne 43 8
BOYNE inflicted a first defeat on then leaders Gorey in their previous outing but were brought crashing back to earth in Wexford last Saturday.
After losing their opening game, Enniscorthy have won five on the bounce and they now look like the team to catch following this six-try demolition of the Drogheda outfit at their Ross Road home.
From a Boyne perspective, they will now be looking at the Louth derby with Dundalk on Saturday week as a must-win if they are to drag themselves away from the foot of the Division 1A table.
Kilkenny’s surprise win at Mill Road last weekend means Gary Downey’s charges are now just one point better off than the bottom club.
When scrum half Arthur Dunne dotted down after just three minutes of play it looked like it was going to be a long day for Boyne, but it did take Enniscorthy a further 50 minutes before they sealed their win with a bonus-point try from wing David O’Dwyer.
Dunne’s opening score came when the home side attacked down the right side and released wing Ivan Jacob who made great ground before transferring to his scrum half who scored near the posts. Out half Ivan Poole converted to make it a seven-point game.
Three minutes later Boyne, missing their skipper Karl Keogh through injury, reduced the deficit with a penalty kick, but that score was cancelled out mid-way through the half with a Poole kick after sustained pressure from the Enniscorthy pack.
The home side’s number 8 Timmy Morrissey then forced his way over the line for a second try, again converted by Poole, but five minutes before the interval Boyne scored their only try when out half Eoghan Duffy intercepted a pass and ran in from 30 metres.
That left the score at 17-8 going into the break and kept Boyne in contention for at least a losing bonus point.
However, Enniscorthy were by far the superior team after the interval and were rewarded with four well-taken tries as the away side failed to trouble the scorers.
Dunne claimed his second try with a wonderful break down the middle and as Enniscorthy ramped up the pressure their wing David O’Dwyer claimed their bonus-point score in the left corner.
Lock forward Tomas Stamp then got in on the act, touching down twice in the space of 10 minutes, and with two more conversions from Poole and one from centre Killian Lett that brought Enniscorthy’s final tally to 43 points.
Boyne, who aren’t in action this week, will have one eye on events at Ross Road as Enniscorthy host Dundalk in an All-Ireland Junior Cup quarter-final on Saturday.
Whatever the result of that game, Dundalk will feel that the upcoming derby carries more significance, and Boyne will need to be on top of their game to avoid a costly defeat.
BOYNE: Robert Vallejo; Joe Sweeney, Graham McQuillan, Ruairi Hennessy, Kevin McCleery; Eoghan Duffy, Sean Rooney; Jerry Onianwa, Pauric Mongey, Pat Shuttleworth; Paul Kelly, Kevin Prendergast; Declan Moore, Wilson Twentyman, Ciaran Smith. Replacements: Luke O’Callaghan, Tadhg O’Reilly, Conor Walsh, Cillian Henry, Brian Howell.
Next league fixtures
Saturday November 17th, 2.30
Division 1A table
Enniscorthy Gorey Wicklow Bective Rgrs Dundalk Ashbourne Boyne Kilkenny P 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 W 5 5 4 3 2 2 2 1 L 1 1 2 3 4 4 4 5 D 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
F A 172 90 117 73 130 102 104 97 128 122 117 129 71 174 103 155 BP 4 2 3 4 4 4 0 3 Pts 24 22 19 16 12 12 8 7