Mixed fortunes for teens
Sligo Rugby Club are represented in three youth finals
THERE was joy and disappointment for three teenage teams representing Sligo Rugby Club in recent provincial finals.
The club won the Connacht Girls U-18.5 Plate but were runners-up in both the Connacht Boys U-16 Cup final and the Connacht Boys U-18.5 Cup decider.
Last Thursday saw Sligo take on Ballinrobe in the Connacht Girls U-18.5 Plate showdown at Creggs RFC.
Sligo, who were without their international player Poppy Garvey, won 15-5 after a tough contest.
The winners, who were wind-assisted in the first-half, overcame the obstacle of going five points down when Ballinasloe notched a try – this would be the Mayo club’s only score.
Sligo also coped with having three players in the sin bin following indiscipline in the concluding stages of the first-half.
But Sligo were 7-5 ahead at the interval, having cancelled out Ballinasloe’s try when Lauren Hunter got over after excellent work from Sligo’s pack following a quick tap penalty inside Ballinasloe’s ‘22’. Lara Clinch provided the conversion.
Sligo went further in front early in the second-half, with them still down to 12 players, when Ellie Filan scored a try that was culmination of determined carries and focused offloads.
The final score for the Nessa O’Sullivan-captained Sligo was a penalty from Lara Clinch.
Last Sunday, meanwhile, saw Sligo at Galway’s Dexcom Stadium for the Connacht Boys U-16 Cup final and the Connacht Boys U-18.5 Cup final, both against Athlone’s Buccaneers.
Buccaneers proved too powerful in the U-16 contest and the winners’ physicality, especially in the pack, made a difference as Sligo lost by 22 points, 32-10.
In sunny conditions Sligo took the lead through a John Paul Flanagan penalty but Buccaneers replied with a try and a penalty.
Sligo responded with some fine rugby and having defended stoutly they turned on the style offensively with a try from Jay Kiernan. The subsequent conversion from John Paul Flanagan cut the deficit to three points but a converted try from Buccaneers left Sligo in trouble. Sligo kept going in the second-half but were unable to add to their first-half haul. Buccaneers scored two more tries to seal the win. There was a similar story in the Connacht Boys U-18.5 Cup final at the same venue as Sligo, last season’s champions, were unable to retain
The number of tries scored by Sligo in three Connacht finals in U-16 and U-18.5 age grades. their trophy – Buccaneers won 31-14.
Sligo, who featured players from excellent Summerhill College and Sligo Grammar School teams, were 17-0 down at half-time.
Things went from bad to worse in the opening 10 minutes of the second-half when Sligo conceded two further tries, the second of which was an intercept try as Sligo attempted to find a way through.
Trailing 31-0, Sligo refused to surrender and they were rewarded with a brace of tries from Kealan Schoen, with Mark Tempany kicking two conversions.