Heavy defeat on the road for Castleisland
MUNSTER JUNIOR LEAGUE DIVISION 2
Fermoy 24 Castleisland 0
ALTHOUGH the result on paper points to a comprehensive win for the home side, a depleted Castleisland team can take great hope from a performance in which the odds were very firmly stacked against them from the start.
Down a number of regulars which included five regular starting forwards in Kieran Downey, Mike Cronin,Pat Fitzgerald,Shane Brosnan and Moss O’Callaghan, the away side struggled in their scrums and line-outs and it was from her that the home side punished them in the full.
Fermoy’s first two tries came off of dominant scrums. The home side camped in Castleisland’s half and opened the scoring with a Dylan Lacey penalty. Castleisland fought back well and forced a penalty, but Brian Leonard’s effort from 30 metres went narrowly wide.
The visitors continued to attack well but wasted some gilt edged chances. On one occasion a knock on near the opposition line cost them dearly as a try looked certain.
Fermoy took full advantage of this let off when moments later they scored their first try of the game.
It came after a strong push from a scrum and Peter Skuse touched down with Castleisland in all sorts of bother. Lacey added the conversion to push Fermoy 10-0 ahead. Fermoy continued to dominate the rest of the first half but some excellent defensive tackles from Castleisland kept them out.
The second half took a familiar pattern once more. Castleisland tried hard to break the Fermoy line but found the hosts in determined and aggressive form as they capably dealt with everything that the visitors had to offer.
As the Castleisland bodies began to tire, Conor Ahern struck for Fermoy’s second try, once again off the back of a dominant scrum. The home side weren’t finished and as the game entered the final quarter, Tom Murphy struck for their third try, this time following a driving maul, with Lacey adding the conversion once more.
Castleisland continued to show some stout resistance, but turned over the ball in some good attacking positions.
At the other end their rush defence continued to keep the hosts at bay, but as the final whistle sounded, Fermoy finished as deserved victors.
The away side can take solace from the displays of some of their new players who fronted up when their side needed them.