Sligo are caught by Rainey’s late show
Energia All-Ireland League Division 2B – Round 3
Sligo RFC First XV
Rainey Old Boys RFC First XV
Energia All-Ireland League
I13 14
T IS too early in the season to wonder if this will be a rollercoaster campaign but Sligo RFC’s first XV will certainly not want too many days like last Saturday at Strandhill’s Hamilton Park.
Six points up in injury time, 13-7, Sligo were caught cold by visitors Rainey Old Boys, who inflicted Sligo’s second defeat of this season’s Energia All-Ireland League Division 2B.
The Magherafelt outfit scored a try from former Ulster prop Tommy O’Hagan and Scott McLean’s subsequent conversion gave the visitors a one-point win, 14-13.
Sligo, who lost their first game of the season away to Belfast Harlequins and followed that up with a home win over Malahide on the Saturday before last, were devasted.
They will have to regroup for their next fixture – a round four game away to Galwegians on Saturday week, October 29.
Sligo only scored twice – two Euan Brown penalties – against a Rainey side that came to Sligo on the back of two defeats. Brown’s scores came in the first-half – after 20 minutes and close to half-time – as Sligo trailed 7-6 at the interval.
Rainey, who sought to use their powerful pack whenever possible, put pressure on Sligo in the early exchanges but the hosts held out and Euan
Brown’s first successful penalty gave them a 3-0 lead. A 25th minute converted try from Rainey put Sligo on the back foot, but a second penalty from Brown kept Paddy Pearson’s charges within reach.
Within minutes of the restart Sligo went for a big score to get in front. The move started with Daire Byrne’s industry – he earned a penalty that Brown kicked for the corner. From the lineout, Sligo kept possession and their pack went for the line.
An infringement saw a penalty try awarded and Sligo went clear on the scoreboard, 13-7. Further scores could have put the game to bed but Sligo remained vulnerable with just a converted try between them and a potential loss. Unfortunately, that is how things panned out on a playing surface that stood up well despite rainfall in the morning.
Galwegians, Sligo’s next opponents in this season’s Energia All-Ireland, have lost all three of their opening games – a 33-7 away loss to Dungannon in round one, a 58-21 hammering at the hands of their Galway rivals, Corinthians, in round two and last Saturday’s 38-22 defeat at Belfast Harlequins. In a Connacht Senior
League fixture played last month, Sligo beat Galwegians
16-7 at Hamilton Park.
Sligo RFC (v Rainey Old Boys): Brendan Cunningham, Calum Goddard, Finn Bamber, Enda Gavin, Darragh Feehily, Euan Brown (2 pens), Hubert
Gilvarry, Kuba Wojtkowicz,
Matthew Earley, Jason East (c), Jake Sexton, Rob Holian, Donnacha Byrne, Brian West, Ross Hickey Replacements: Shane O’Hehir, Benjamin Hynes, Jack Gormley, Daire Byrne, Philip Carter
Update