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Click here for photos from that great All Ireland Cup win 'Two
outa three ain't bad'....
All Ireland League, Semi-Final : Shannon 6 Garryowen 31 .... As was once said by Meatloaf.
Shannon's senior season came crashing to a halt on Saturday last at a sunny, windy, but resplendent Coonagh as the eyes of the nation watched on, courtesy of RTE. It was our first time ever being beaten in the AIL playoffs - and so our ninth All Ireland League title will have to wait for at least another year. It was not, however, by any means an unsuccessful season. We've recaptured the Munster Senior Cup, having relinquished it for a season and we have landed the All Ireland Cup at just the third time of asking. The hurt of defeat to the reigning champions will have been somewhat relieved by those facts. There were three notable incidents in Saturday's match, each of which could have been said to have been a turning point: 1) The garryowen launched by Garryowen 6 minutes from the end of the first half, which was allowed to bounce by the Shannon defence and which directly ended in the concession of a the first try, as Shannon battled hard against the wind.  2) David O'Donovan's second penalty attempt of the second-half, from a full 5 metres inside his own half, with the scores at 6-14 and Shannon with momentum and the big wind at their backs, which cruelly bounced back from the top of the left post and which was returned almost to half-way before, almost immediately Shannon found themselves conceding a scrum less than 10 metres from their own line. 3) Garryowen's 1st try of the second half which resulted from an extended sequence of phases, in the middle of which was a blatant knock on by the scrum-half at the base of a ruck right under the eyes of referee, but which went unnoticed. Maybe, just maybe, the result might have been different had any of the above three events gone our way.......but maybe I'm clutching at straws here. In truth the better team on the day won - Shannon played below par, below what we know they are capable of and what they proved they are capable of time and again this season. The light blues were the craftier and seemed to be the hungrier of the two Limerick giants - though it pains me to admit that. For the record, Mossy Lawlor opened the Shannon account with a lovely drop-goal into the wind in the first half and O'Donovan added to this with an early second-half long-range penalty from wide on the left. Roll on next season, we'll be back in a newly framed Thomond Park and we'll have another crack at extending our AIL record. In the meantime, let's congratulate the team management, coaches, players and support staff for a successful return from the current season, by anyone's standards - least of all our own lofty ones. Des
O
Dea
Shannon cement 2nd spot in AIL with bonus point win over Greystones. 5 try romp means a home semi-final in playoffs AIL: Shannon 38 Greystones 5 Two tries each for speedsters, Sean Cronin
and Stephen Kelly and one for captain, David Quinlan, gave Shannon a
bonus point win in their last league outing of the season out in
Coonagh this afternoon. They also conquered another goal by beating
Greystones for the first time in the AIL.
Having finished second in the league, Shannon will now play 3rd placed Garryowen in the semi-final in a couple of weeks, also in Coonagh. The bonus point was crucial, as, without it,  Shannon
would have finished
level on points with rivals Garryowen, and having seen what happened
last season when we lost out on a top four spot when Garryowen ran up a
cricket score in their final game to pip us at the post, this time we
wanted to leave nothing to chance in securing the home semi-final.The game itself was practically finished as a contest by half-time, as Shannon ran up a 24-0 lead in the first forty albeit with the benefit of the wind. Greystones needed to at least beat Shannon to have any chance of survival, and there was now too high a mountain to climb. For Shannon, however, the job was not yet finished. The bonus point had to be secured.  So they went about their business in a very professional way in the second half, secured the extra point, and continued as if the game was still in the balance. Some might say that it may have resembled a training session from there on in, but Shannon were already preparing for the upcoming semi-final, playing some very cohesive and fast-paced rugby; quick penalty taps, super off-loads and great support play. The team has gelled very well over the last number of weeks - however, there is still work to be done to eliminate some of the unforced errors we saw. Shannon, as always, know that they are not perfect, but they will always strive towards it - the hope will be that they are closer to it than the other remaining 3 teams in this competition. Greystones, desperate for survival in the top flight, hit the ground running and were first to exert pressure. Indeed, they should have opened the scoring when they created a two-man overlap on the right in the first few minutes. However the ball-carrier chose to go for glory when an offload would have secured the 5 pointer and the chance went abegging. Soon afterwards, having lifted the initial mini-siege, Shannon forced a penalty, Fiach O'Loughlin took a quick tap and the home side got another 10 metres, which allowed David O'Donovan a shot at goal. 3-0 and 5 minutes on the clock. Four minutes later, a pre-rehearsed move from a scrum on the left on half-way saw Kelly come inside, take the ball at 1st centre and use his pace to split the defence, brining play to the 22. From the recycle Shannon went left and this time it was Cronin who received the pass. Greystones were caught wrong-footed and may not have seen Seanie before. In any case, he was under the posts before they could blink. O'Donovan converted and suddenly Shannon were 10 points clear. The next score came after 20 minutes, when Greystones attempted to run from a scrum on their 22. The outhalf lost his balance and the ball went loose. Shannon were first to pounce and two quick passes gave kelly the chance to round his man on the outside close to the left touch-line. He duely obliged and O'Donovan added the afters with a difficult touchline kick. 17-0.  Following that try, greystones had a chance from a lineout close to the Shannon line, however, two good tackles by Phil O'Connor and a brilliant break by Les Hogan (one of many by the prop) with defenders bouncing off him, brought play back down the other end, where Shannon exerted more pressure on the hapless Wicklowmen. At a scrum inside the 22, Quinlan picked at the base and fed O'Loughlin who skipped passed to Kelly, the poacher. Kelly had a number of options both chose a mazy run through the defence finding gaps where there were none and finding the line untouched. Again, O'Donovan converted and with a half hour gone, Shannon were 24 points to the good. There it remained for the remainder of the half. The focus now was on the fourth try and it looked like Shannon had secured it in the 1st minute of the second-half when Mossy Lawlor made a break and was again involved later in the same move when he kicked ahead for O'Donovan to score what looked like a legitimate try. The ref thought otherwise and whistled for a knock-on by Davey as he pounced on the loose ball over the line. Luckily, we didn't have long more to wait and it was Cronin who got it, running in for his second try, when running a lovely line off the out-half and touching down to the left of the posts. O'Donovan brought the score to 31-nil. Shannon made a few substitutions, bringing in Killian O'Neill for Gary MacNamara and Joey Moran for Mossy. Shannon's final score came from David Quinlan who benefitted from a smart call by O'Loughlin who found himself with slow ball and an advancing defence following a lineout on the left inside the 22. He went himself, made the initial break and fed Quinlan who did the rest, placing the ball down where Cronin had put it 13 minutes earlier. O'Donovan, who had a great game from the placed ball, stretched it to 38 points. Shannon made other changes, bring on Leonard Mullane and Jason Cronin. From there it was an excersice in keeping Greystones out which Shannon did admirably until the final move of the game when they eventually went over wide on the right. No one was complaining though - considering the lads had celebrated winning a national title just seven days previously, this had been a top-drawer performance. A two week break before the semi-final - it's just great to be back in the play-offs again. SHANNON Andrew Finn, David O'Donovan, Joe Manuel, John Clogan, Stephen Kelly, Mossy Lawlor, Fiach O'Loughlin Les Hogan, Sean Cronin, Gary McNamara, Padraic O'Brien, Fergal Walsh, Phil O'Connor, Eoghan Grace, David Quinlan (Capt) Subs; Jason Cronin, Leonard Mullane, Joey Moran, Frances Broderick, Killian O'Neill match
report: Des O
Dea
All Ireland Cup winners as Shannon see off Blackrock in close, tense affair Blackrock 9 Shannon 12 Shannon wake up this morning
with yet another (and this time new) piece of silverware in
the cabinet. Yesterday at Dubarry Park, Athlone, in front of a sizeable
crowd in wet, rainy and muddy conditions, their resolve more than
anything else saw them over the line against what was a crack Blackrock
outfit.
The family that is Shannon Rugby Football Club moved to the midlands for the day and came back happy, despite the temporary loss of their way and a wife on the journey up.  Captain, Dave Quinlan, acknowledged the contribution of the support that travelled to the game as he made a brief speech on each of the supporters' coaches before we left our pit stop in Ferbane and headed for home. He mentioned how we certainly made ourselves heard, much to the chagrin of the Blackrock team who had trouble hearing their own lineout calls on the 'popular' side of the pitch with all the roaring and paling banging that was going on. It wasn't easy, but no-one ever said it would be, to coin a phrase. Indeed Blackrock must be scratching their heads this morning and wondering how they came out the wrong side of the score. Certainly, they would feel that they had enough possession and territory to have won it. But Shannon are nothing if not dogged. And just as their defence won the day last week, so it was again this week. In fact both defences were superb, so much so, that this final was try-less. It was therefore down to who was the cuter of the two sides. At the right times, Shannon, in the form of Man of the Match, Mossy Lawlor at out-half, took their scoring opportunities, as twice he slotted over drop-goals that were ultimately the winning of the game. Blackrock had their chances also, but chose to keep hammering at the brick wall that was Shannon's defence. This wall, however, was not for breaking. Outside of the two drop goals, the second of these the sweeter, as he was under considerable pressure, his contribution was immense and on at least two occasions he turned defence into attack, both of which led to scores. The rain threatened to ruin this game as at times it fell incessantly, but credit to both sides as they served up what was an exciting encounter given the conditions. At times it was like a game of ping-pong as each side played for territory and tried to force the errors. But at other times the intensity of the play around the fringes was enthralling. Blackrock were first off the mark, when they were deemed to have converted a penalty kick after Shannon were adjudged to have taken out a man after a kick-ahead. Ten minutes later, Shannon suffered a blow, when Phil O'Connor was sin-binned for an incident on the ground in a ruck. Blackrock punished us further by slotting home the resultant penalty in front of the posts. With Phil off the pitch, Shannon had to endure an lot of pressure in their own 22. This was ended, however, when Mossy tapped down for a 22 drop out and took a quick one, kicking it long up the left hand side of the pitch. Stephen Kelly was nearly first to it, but in any case Shannon had turned defence into attack and play resumed inside the Blackrock 22. Not long after this, in the 34th minute, Shannon were awarded a penalty following a lineout take and David O'Donovan halved the arrears, making it 6-3. Then coming up to half-time, Shannon thwarted another Blackrock attack, when Colm McMahon wrapped up the ball-carrier and Shannon won the scrum from the ensuing maul. Then the final play of the half saw Kelly under pressure on his own line, following a neat kick ahead by Blackrock. He fed McMahon, however, who managed to break free of the closing cover and make a 20 metre break to clear the danger. Going in 6 points to 3 down at half-time, given the amount of possession and territory that Blackrock had, Shannon would have been the happier of the two sides. The first score of the second half would be crucial, and so it was important Shannon got it. McMahon again was the main player as he made a 30 metre break following a turn-over in our own half. At the breakdown, Blackrock infringed and O'Donovan was handed the opportunity to level the scores, which he duly took.. Then in the 9th minute, following another turnover Shannon moved the ball out to Kelly who kicked ahead, but the Blackrock cover just got to it before him and cleared to touch. From the lineout take, Shannon drove a number of times, until, sensing that the defence would not be broken on this occasion, Fiach O'Loughlin fed Mossy, who slotted over the first of his two drop-goals. Shannon were in the lead for the first time.  Almost immediately, however, Shannon shot themselves in the foot by conceding a penalty on their own 10-metre line, which happened to be in the range of the Blackrock full-back. The sides were level for the last time. Les Hogan replaced Killian O'Neill in the front-row and then in the 22nd minute of the second-half, O'Donovan got the chance to restore Shannon's lead with a difficult penalty wide on the left. Unfortunately he was right and wide. With 13 minutes remaining, Leonard Mullane replaced Phil O'Connor and two minutes later, U20 player, Mike Kinsella who had a solid game, his first start at this level, went off for Joe Manuel. A minute later with 10 minutes left in the game, Mossy Lawlor lifted another Blackrock siege with a fly-kick clearance of a loose ball, which almost reached the Blackrock line out on the right. The defending Blackrock player coughed up possession to Shannon and following another series of drives which brought play to in front of the posts, once again, Mossy sat into the pocket and scooped a beautiful drop goal, which seemed to take an age to reach its destination. 12-9 in front. All we needed to do was hold out, but it certainly wasn't easy. 5 full minutes of Blackrock pressure followed, but Shannon were equal to everything their opponents threw at them, none more so than O'Donovan who pulled off a wonderful try-saving tackle. Eventually, Shannon forced the concession of a scrum and were able to clear their lines. The game ended with Mossy attempting yet another drop-goal, this time putting it to the left and wide. Kelly was unlucky not to beat the ball to the dead-ball line for what would have been the icing on the cake, but it mattered little as the final whistle sounded and history was made. So, Shannon have added the All Ireland Cup to the Munster Cup they won at the end of December. Two outa three ain't bad? Wrong. This is Shannon RFC remember. There is one more left, the big one. No stone will be left unturned in our attempt to add the AIL league title to the other two. SHANNON Andrew Finn, David O'Donovan, Mike Kinsella, John Clogan, Stephen Kelly, Mossy Lawlor, Fiach O'Loughlin Killian O'Neill, Sean Cronin, Kevin Griffin, Padraic O'Brien, Donnacha Ryan , Phil O'Connor, Colm McMahon, David Quinlan (Capt) Subs; Jason Cronin, Les Hogan, Fergal Walsh, Eoghan Grace, Joe Manual, Joey Moran, Leonard Mullane match
report and photos: Des O
Dea
Shannon reach their first All Ireland Cup final (05/04/08)  All
Ireland Cup Semi Final; Galwegians 5 Shannon 8This is a young competition, only in its
3rd year. Shannon have just reached their first final, and will want to
go all the way, now that they have reached the final hurdle. Yesterday,
at a
windy Crowley Park, they did just about enough to scrape through to the
decider, a week hence in Athlone against Blackrock. This season
we will go through the entire cup campaign without once playing at
home.
A low-scoring game, played at high-tempo, it was not short on excitement. Strangely enough, the game's two tries were both scored into the wind, a wind which, apparently, normally blows in off the sea but which yesterday was blowing in the opposite direction. The difference on the scoreboard was David O'Donovan's successful penalty attempt with the aid of the wind early in the second half. He had missed three kicks in the first half, while his counterpart on the Galwegians side managed to hit first the left, then the right post with two unsuccessful penalty attempts, one in each half. Galwegians had a lot of possession, and each time they got the ball they looked to first crash it up the middle, then quickly to spin it wide, trying to stretch the visitors. On all occasions, bar one, Shannon were equal to the task, and just like their Munster colleagues an hour or two later, they repelled attack after attack, and never looked like losing control of the game, despite the closeness of the scores.  Fergal 'Stretch' Walsh was a colossus in the lineout (as usual) and it was from one of his clean takes (photo) in the seventeenth minute of the first half that Shannon opted to setup the rolling maul. They controlled it well and moved 10 metres forward when suddenly the Galwegians pack seemed to break up and a huge gap allowed the ball-carrier, Niall Ronan (photo), a clear run to the line. O'Donovan was left of the posts with the conversion. The teams turned around at the break with that one score the only one on the board. Shannon had other chances, one in particular, in the second half when Stephen Kelly pounced on a risky attempt by his opposite number to keep the ball in play following a kick over the top and down the left touch-line, by Fiach O'Loughlin. However, Kelly over -kicked the loose ball and it went dead before even his pace could reach it. The wind didn't play havoc with the game as such, but it's strength was clearly illustrated early in the second half when a booming clearance by O'Donovan from inside his 22 managed to make it's way past the opposing dead-ball line for a scrum-back. Apart from the one try conceded after a poor clearance didn't make touch and Galwegians setup a second-phase move which saw the right winger go outside the cover to score an unconverted try, the closest they had come to a try was when their number 7 went racing clear down the left wing. Richie Mullane, at centre, was the one to make the try-saving tackle into touch, just when a try seemed a certainty.  Shannon's indiscipline cost them 2 yellow cards and it is an area that will certainly be looked at as they prepare for their second final of the season next Saturday. The final whistle was the queue for quick celebrations and then a beeline to the car and back down to Limerick to watch Munster also progress. This journey was completed just in time for the kick-off, without one speed limit being broken along the way - that Ennis by-pass is great!  SHANNON Andrew Finn, David O'Donovan, Richie Mullane, John Clogan, Stephen Kelly, Mossy Lawlor, Fiach O'Loughlin Killian O'Neill, Sean Cronin, Gary McNamara, Padraic O'Brien, Fergal Walsh, Phil O'Connor, Niall Ronan, David Quinlan (Capt) Subs; Jason Cronin, Les Hogan, Joe Manual, Eoghan Grace, Francis Broderick, Joey Moran, Leonard Mullane match
report and photos: Des O
Dea
Munster Junior Cup Semi
Final (06/04/08)
UCC 17 Shannon 7 Shannon's ambitions of lifting the Munster Junior cup for the first time since 1996 must wait for at least another year as they came off second best to a UCC side that were full value for their 17-7 semi final win. The students looked far more productive and ambitious throughout the game and it was only a very late rally that gave Shannon a glimmer of hope whilst chasing the game. The wintery elements gave Shannon the advantaged in the first half, but they failed to capitalise and it was UCC that dictated the pace and tempo of the game. They were far more clinical and as early as the 10 minute were threatening the Shannon line when the impressive centre Ivan Dineen was held short with a try saving tackle. However from the resultant scrum wing forward James Ryan was credited with a try after a surge from his forward colleagues. The conversion was added and at that stage, the signs were ominous for a below par Shannon side. They did though come close when Marcus O'Driscoll was held short after a neat chip through, but from the penalty that followed, Shannon elected to go for a quick tap and dismiss a simple looking three point opportunity, but strong defence denied any score. UCC continued to look dangerous behind the scrum and Peter Shallow was a serious threat on the wing, but the score remained at 7-0 at half time. A quick penalty from UCC after the restart extended their lead and at this stage in looked a long way back for Shannon. After 23 minutes of the second half it got worse for Shannon as hooker Noel Finneran put UCC further ahead after another forward push to the line. The visitors to Musgrave Park only then began to play with urgency and when Eoghan Grace chased through his own block down to score a try, Shannon set about further reducing the deficit, but time eventually got the better of them and UCC held tough and claimed a well deserved victory. Shannon S.Mullally, M.Tuohy, J.O'Brien, J.Manuel (E.Lane), M.O'Driscoll, J.Moran, R.O'Loughlin, L.Hogan (N.Murray), J.Cronin (C.Nunan),G.McNamara, N.O'Driscoll(B.Meade), F.Broderick, L.Mullane, E.Grace, G.Murphy (P.Loughnane) match
report : Andrew McNamara
(29/03/08) Shannon bounce back with bonus point win, which guarantees a play-off spot and keeps us in 2nd place, just 3 points off the top, with one game remaining AIB
League :
UCD 14 Shannon 45
With one round of games remaining in the
AIB League, Shannon sent out a clear signal that their recent loss to
Dolphin was well and truly behind them with a devastating 7 try romp
over UCD in Belfield. The emphatic 45-14 victory secured them a semi
final spot, but with things so tight at the top of the table the
guarantee of a home game will not be defined until the final day of the
league. Stephen Kelly was the headline grabber for Shannon as the
speed merchant scorched over for a hat-trick of tries in the second
half
Shannon showed a devastating streak at times and despite trailing to an early intercept try they rallied well and turned the students over with a three minute spell just prior to the half time whistle when they crossed for two tries. It was all over at that stage with very little indication that the home side had the capability to make a comeback. Their task in the second half would be made all the more difficult given that they faced into the strong breeze which they failed to capitalise upon in the preceding forty minutes. The opening exchanges were reminiscent of Shannon's defeat to Dolphin; an ample supply of turn over ball and a fortuitous try for UCD ensured a jittery first quarter for Shannon, but evidence that a team does learn from mistakes was demonstrated when they took control and proceeded to demolish the challenge from the students. Andrew Finn was a constant threat and was Shannon's main line breaker while Munster flanker Niall Ronan was causing all sorts of difficulties before he was forced to retire injured. In the 23rd minute a superb break by Stephen Kelly was brought to a halt on the 5 metre line and Shannon's quick recycling gave John Clogan the simple task of touching down in the corner. It was an indication of Shannon's ability to change the tempo of the game and they looked likely to add to their tally sooner rather than later. Several times Shannon threatened UCD's line, but failed to take advantage, but in three minutes before the break they made amends and as good as secured victory. Mossy Lawler who had an impressive outing in the unfamiliar outhalf position, exploited a glaring hole in UCD's stretched defence and continued unopposed to the try line. Almost immediately after UCD restarted Shannon went on the attack again. Colm Mc Mahon made the initial burst and his colleagues powered their way back up to the UCD line and after several pick and drives, Lawlor spotted the unfamiliar sight of Killean O'Neill standing on the right wing and a speedy pass saw the prop dive over for his first try of the campaign. 17-7 at half time and with the considerable wind to their backs it looked inevitable that Shannon would secure an all important bonus point win and after 49 minutes it came when replacement Eoghan Grace powered his way over. UCD showed little resistance and looked a deflated side with little appetite for the remaining 30 minutes. Stephen Kelly then took centre stage and with Shannon's forwards dominant the winger was given ample space to display his wares. A simple chip and chase saw him cross for his first in the 61st minute but then UCD enjoyed an isolated period of pressure. Shannon were guilty of lapsing their concentration when a quick tap penalty saw UCD's Conor Geoghegan cross without a hand being laid upon him. It was a minor blip, and with concentration quickly resumed Kelly benefited from superb work from his captain David Quinlan for his next two tries in the 76th and 81st minute and for the second time this season Shannon racked up 45 points. Shannon: A. Finn, D. O'Donovan J. Clogan, A. Thompson (J.Moran) S. Kelly, M. Lawlor, F. O'Loughlin K. O'Neill (G.McNamara), S. Cronin (J.Cronin), K. Griffin, P.O'Connor, F. Walsh, C.McMahon, N.Ronan ( E.Grace) D. Quinlan (Capt) match
report : Andrew McNamara
Defeat for Shannon in Cork, but still hold onto Second Spot, with 2 games remaining AIB League : Dolphin 18 Shannon 13 Dolphin gave themselves every chance of making the top four after they consigned Shannon to their third AIB league defeat of the season. It was a dramatic ending to the game, with the home side snatching victory with a very late Rory Kenneally try. Both sides were locked at 13 points each and that looked the likely outcome until Dolphin went for broke and stretched Shannon with two minutes remaining. To say that the home side stole the victory would be an injustice as their relentless possession play and commendable sprit withstood Shannon's second half revival. Their 10 nil half time lead was thoroughly justified and indeed it could have been more had Barry Keeshan took two further penalty chances to add to his earlier penalty and conversion. Even allowing for the fact that Shannon were playing into a considerable wind, their turnover rate was highly uncharacteristic, gifting Dolphin the possession they craved. The visitors to Musgrave park were living off precious little ball in the opening half and when they did get within striking distance it seemed inevitable that the ball would be turned over. Dolphin got the ideal start after 12 minutes when a lethargic clearance was blocked down and followed up by captain George Finn whose touch down under the sticks gave Keeshan the simplest conversion. It set the tone for the remainder of the half as Dolphin harassed and harangued Shannon to the point of frustration which lead to the late sin binning of Andrew Thompson. It was a short lived numerical advantage as Dolphin were reduced for a late and cynical tackle on Stephen Kelly. At that stage the home side were 10 up after Keeshan slotted home a 21st minute penalty, but despite their dominance of possession Dolphin rarely threatened Shannon's line, in either half. Their reliance on James Coughlan's ability to punch holes in the fringe defence bore many gained meters but these were confined to between both '22's. However they were full value for their half time lead, and a change of approach from Shannon would be needed if there was to be a reversal in the second half. Shannon couldn't have asked for a better start to the second period as scrumhalf David O'Donovan's composure produced his sides first points of the game but despite a noticeable change in tempo from the eight times league champions Dolphin negated that effort when Keeshan successfully executed another simple penalty after Sean Cronin was sent to the bin when he was deemed to be slowing possession in the '22. Instead of suffering the numerical disadvantage however, it was Shannon that scored next and an indication of Shannon's, and more exactly Stephen Kelly's potency was demonstrated in the 52nd minute. Shannon sent reinforcements off the bench and the changes certainly added new impetus to their cause. They looked likely to penetrate and when Mossy Lawler gathered a defensive kick the full back set in motion the move that saw Kelly receive the ball on the 10 meter line and spin and weave his way through the cover and eventually scamper home under the posts to see his side within three points of Dolphin's tally. All the momentum was now with Shannon and despite David O'Donovan missing a penalty, the long-range effort ensured Dolphin would remain pinned in their own 22. The equalising score again came from a pacey Shannon set up and when Thompson tapped over the simple effort in the 69th minute it looked as if Shannon would be the ones to snatch victory. Dolphin ploughed on though and with Coughlan at the heart of any forward momentum they found their way into Shannon's '22 with three minutes remaining, but Keeshan's inevitable drop goal effort drifted wide. Stalemate seemed the likely outcome, with Dolphin the least happy of the two teams, but the home side seeing their chance of a top four place possibly slipping away were not about to settle for parity. A sweeping move which caught Shannon flatfooted from a scrum gave their centre pairing the chance to expose Shannon's stretched defence and consequently see Rory Kenneally race over to bring an ecstatic eruption from the home support. There was precious little time for a Shannon revival and when Gary O'Keefe belted the ball into the terrace, Dolphin could celebrate a rare victory over Shannon, but more importantly a glimmer of hope for a playoff spot. Shannon M. Lawlor, A. Finn (F. O'Loughlin) J. Clogan, (J. Manuel), A. Thompson S. Kelly, J.Moran, D. O'Donovan K. O'Neill (L. Hogan), S. Cronin, K. Griffin P. O'Brien (J.Paranguiti), F. Walsh, C.McMahon P.O'Connor. (J.Cronin Temp)D. Quinlan (Capt) match
report : Andrew McNamara
The
Maths:
With just two games remaining in the All Ireland League, the jostling has already begun for position as we approach the playoffs, with seven teams still in contention for the top 4 places. Shannon regained 2nd spot with the bonus point achieved on Sunday last, leaving them just one point ahead of Garryowen with Clontarf a further 4 points behind. One win from the remaining 2 games will ensure a playoff spot, but the aim would be to not only qualify but to finish at least second. First place is still within their grasp, so that must still be the ultimate goal, eventhough it would require leaders, Cons (4 points ahead of Shannon), slipping up and Shannon extracting maximum points from both UCD (Away) and Greystones (Home), which is what Shannon will probably need to do even to retain 2nd place. Currently, UCD are still in with a mathematical chance of a play-off spot themselves, so next weekend's encounter alone will be a massive challenge for Galwey's wounded men. Des O Dea
Another 5 points brings Shannon within just a point of top spot AIL: Shannon 27 Terenure 12 Two players in particular made their mark on this game. Andrew Thompson bagged 17 points, all of them in the opening half and Sean Cronin, full of running, had a crucial involvment in both of Thommy's tries as well as being the man to haul down a tear-away Terenure player after their scrum-half had made the initial 40 metre break. A half-time lead of 17-0 and half way towards a bonus point. Shannon clinched that late in the game when Captain, David Quinlan, crashed over for the fourth try. Prior to that, it was Padraig O'Brien who benefited from a clever backline move to make it 22-10, this after Terenure had hogged the scoreboard in the 3rd quarter with two tries of their own. There is no let-up for our Seniors this weekend, but whose complaining? We are back in action on Saturday when, after Ireland dispose of Wales at Croker, Shannon play in the penultimate round of the All Ireland Cup away to Galwegians. Kick-off 3.15 pm at Crowley Park. If you can get there, please do, as all support will be much appreciated by the lads as they attempt to reach their 2nd final of the season, a final they have never been in before. There is another 2 week break after that followed by 2 away ties in a row in the AIL this month. Des O Dea
As expected, the Fastest Hooker on the Planet has got a full-time contract. Sean Cronin will start next season as a full-time professional with the province of Connacht. He will probably give as much to Connacht as they will give to him. Our loss will be the West's gain. (As long as he is available in (every) May........) Shannon Avenge League defeat and secure Semi final spot (24/02/08) AIB Cup quarter final: St Mary's College 15 Shannon 28 Looking to atone for their AIB league defeat last December to St Mary's, Shannon were forced to endure an equally difficult second half in Templeville road yesterday in the AIB cup, but fortunately from their perspective they had enough craft and experience to gain safe passage to the semi final. A reasonably comfortable first half display from Shannon saw them take a 16-5 lead into the second period but a serious looking injury to scrumhalf Fiach O'Loughlin just before the break seemed to disrupt their pattern of play which allowed the home side attack his station with frequent success and thus create a tense finale. Despite St Mary's enjoying a good start, it was Shannon that struck first when Andrew Thompson slotted over two successive penalties in the 12th and 16th minutes. Shannon had weathered the early storm and were capitalising on some wayward defensive kicking from Mary's and it was indirectly from such a clearance that they crossed for their opening try. A lineout on the '22 saw Shannon's eight rumbles forward and when the maul came to a stop, New Zealander Jake Paranguiti muscled his way over. It was no more than Shannon deserved and Thompson's conversion gave them a healthy 13 point lead with barely 20 minutes on the clock. However, St Mary's home record against Shannon is better than most and they certainly weren't going to throw their lot in at such an early stage. They stormed back into contention on the 27 minute mark when after several attempts they managed to squirm their way over through Robin Copeland after his forward colleagues mauled close to Shannon's line. Almost immediately after the restart, Thompson was teeing up another kick at goal and his 100% record was maintained and Shannon's lead was stretched. The loss of O'Loughlin soon after forced full back David O'Donovan to take his place, and not withstanding his relative lack of experience in that berth he performed quite well, but that change bolstered St Mary's resolve and after the half time break it was they that forced the pace. Replacement fullback Frank Lynch began the revival with a 45th minute penalty and 4 minutes later St Mary's got within a point of Shannon's tally. Prop Juan Gomez managed to burrow over the Shannon line after a 5 metre scrum disengaged and became a maul. The home side, it appeared, could sense a weakening in Shannon, but if that was the case, it was a bit premature. Despite the resurgence of the home side, it was Shannon that scored next The pace and power of Sean Cronin was the catalyst after the hooker took a quick tap penalty from just inside St Mary's half. That power and pace took him close to the line and even with the eventual assistance from his colleagues, he was held up short. With numbers committed elsewhere after Shannon recycled over and back the field, Mary's were caught short and David Quinlan scored the buffer try on 61 minutes. It was at this point that St Mary's applied their most sustained period of pressure, but this was when all of Shannon's guile and experience took over. Without panic or hesitation they dealt with the almost incessant onslaught for almost 15 minutes. Any respite was temporary and it took a huge effort to hold the line, but eventually a more permanent lifting of the siege came and with it a try that put the result beyond doubt. A late bout of aerial ping pong saw Cronin once again snaffle a loose ball, and from the 10 metre line he headed through the mass of bodies and this time there was no one to stop him. Thompson's conversion was a formality from in front of the posts and with only a few minutes remaining St Mary's hopes of a double over Shannon evaporated. Not perfect by any means, but Shannon's efforts have ensured a second successive AIB cup semi final, however Mick Galwey's men will be looking to go one better, at least, this time round. Their next opponents will be Galwegians in the semi-final, to be played in Crowley Park on the 9th March. Shannon D.O'Donovon, A.Thompson, R.Mullane, J.Clogan, S.Kelly, J.Moran, F.O'Loughlin(A.Finn), K.Griffin , S.Cronin, K.O'Neill(Les Hogan), P.O'Brien(P.O'Connor), F.Walsh, J.Paranguiti, C.McMahon(E.Grace), D.Quinlan. match
report : Andrew McNamara
Seconds
beat Cork visitors to advance to quarter-final; Munster Junior
Cup: Shannon 47 Ballincollig 3 (17/02/08)
Shannon moved into the quarter final of the Munster Junior Cup with relative ease when they accounted for Ballincollig in Coonagh on Sunday. 47-3 was the final score with Shannon crossing for an impressive seven tries against a side that were competitive enough in the opening half, but once Shannon upped their tempo the Cork side had no response. Plying their trade in the Munster junior league second division, Ballincollig found the going particularly tough when Shannon played with width and pace to the game and then looked out of their depth as the black and blue onslaught continued unabated in the second half. They did manage to hold Shannon scoreless for the opening 15 minutes, and even when Eoghan Grace scorched over for a peach of an opening try, Ballincollig maintained a certain competitiveness and responded with a penalty soon after. But as the game transpired it was very evident that Shannon had several gears above that which the visitors could offer. Despite not scoring again until four minutes before the whistle Shannon were comfortable and their line was rarely threatened. Jason O'Brien put a nine point half time margin between the sides going into break when he was on the end of a good passing phase after the forwards paved the way with a controlled lineout. Whatever glimmer of hope Ballincollig may have felt disappeared almost immediately after the break when Grace once again crossed for another brilliant effort. If the wing forwards first try was individual brilliance, his second was the culmination of a great forward turnover at a scrum and purposeful and enterprising angles of running. 58 minutes passed and again Ballincollig were beneath their posts after player/coach George Murray raced over from a five metre scrum. The points just kept coming at that stage and there was very little resistance offered. Shane Mullally successfully chased his own up and under and neatly fly kicked ahead to gather and score Shannon's fifth try. Before the end, Eamon Lane added a try to his four conversions before Jason O'Brien claimed his second in the dying minutes. Despite the apparent lack of resistance from Ballincollig, this was an impressive outing for Shannon whose team is gelling nicely as the competition progresses. A mixture of youth and experience leads to a healthy balance within the team. Bigger tests will certainly lay ahead for Shannon who have not won the Munster Junior Cup since 1996. They will have to wait until March 16th before their next outing when the face a yet to be determined opposition. Shannon. Shane Mullally, Jason O'Brien, George Murray (Diarmuid Fitzgerald), Ross O'Loughlin, Keith Ellis, Eamon Lane, Dave Barry, Les Hogan, Jason Cronin(Paul Ryan), Gary McNamara (Niall Murray) Niall O'Driscoll(Cian Nunan), Frances Broderick, Brian Meade, Eoghan Grace(Alan Kennedy), Gavin Murphy match
report: Andrew Mc Namara
Shannon maintain All Ireland League drive with bonus point win AIL: Shannon 28 Ballymena 21 (16/02/08) As
Andrew Thompson, who picked up a brace of tries, pointed out to RTE at
the end of this game, Shannon, for a change, started well and picked up
three tries in the first half of this strange encounter. If Shannon
started well, then the visitors equally finished well - so much so,
that they managed to grab a late bonus point which for most of the game
looked beyond their reach. Thompson added his second and Shannon's
all-important 4th try mid-way through the second period to clinch the
bonus point, if not quite victory at that stage. Thompson, in fact
scored 18 of
 his side's tally as he took over the
kicking duties as
early as the 3rd minute, when out-half Tadhg Bennett had to retire with
a suspected dislocated shoulder. Bennett's replacement, Joey Moran,
proceeded to put in a Man
of the Match performance, by going through the full out-half repertoire
with the ease of a veteran, including some good line kicking and
sending his backline into space on a number of occasions with quick,
crisp passing. Another player with a bright future one suspects.Speaking of injury, Shannon also lost their captain, David Quinlan, in the first half with what appears to be a nasty hand injury, innocuously acquired in a routine tackle situation - he was replaced by Eoghan Grace. Later, Colm McMahon also had to retire, replaced by hooker Jason Cronin, with Sean Cronin moving to wing forward. Sean's speed and versatility, it seems, means that he could slot into almost any position on the park - except, maybe 2nd Row! He gave us another glimpse of that speed in a move late in the first half which just preceded Shannon's third try and very nearly ended in a try itself. The move began when Shannon's other flier, Stephen Kelly threw a quick lineout inside the 22 to David O'Donovan, who wanted initially to kick for touch but was forced to check when covered and decided to give it back to Kelly who was in a better position. Kelly weighed up his options and decided to go for it. Along comes Cronin as Kelly approached half-way (pictured) and a couple of swapped passes later the pair of them were in the opposing 22 and heading for the line, aided and abetted by Colm McMahon. Desperate scramble defence held Shannon out on that occasion but not for long.  Shannon scored their first try in the 10th minute. Quinlan was the man to come up with the ball following the 2nd of two lineout mauls in succession, Thompson, added the afters and Shannon were up and running. They added a second 5 pointer before Ballymena got off the mark, when in the 15th minute, from a scrum 25 metres out, in front of the posts, a first phase orthodox passing move gave right winger, Thommy, the chance to take on his opposing winger. The veteren won that match-up by taking him on the outside and squeezing in for a try in the right corner. Ballymena were next to score when they deployed their most potent weapon, the rolling maul from a close-in lineout. When this was stopped by the Shannon 8, their hooker broke away and, using the cover of the referee, crashed over for a converted try to bring the score to 12-7 with 22 minutes on the clock. Thompson added the first of his two successful penalty kicks in the 27th minute of the half to stretch the home sides lead. Just before the break, and following that great move described earlier, Shannon attempted to maul over from the lineout, but were repelled by a very good Ballymena defensive 8. Another lineout on the 22 and from the ensuing ruck 15 metres in, Fiach O'loughlin saw a gap and went for it. Suddenly he found himself heading for the corner and backed himself to make it. He should take up gambling because it paid off handsomely as he managed to reach the tyr-line before the touchline and a despairing tackle. That brought the score to 20-7 and was soon followed by the short whistle, with the focus now on the bonus point.  That duelly came in the 25th minute, but it could have came 15 minutes earlier, when another impressive move started inside our own 22 ended with Thommy heading for the corner. He decided that he might not make it so passed inside to Richie Mullane. However, a defender got an intercepting hand to it and made us sweat a bit more. When he got a second chance, albeit this time with a bit more room and an overlap, Thomspon took it with both hands - literally. from a lineout on the left, Shannon moved it quickly through the hands. Richie Mullane setup second phase and Jake Paranguiti took the ball on the charge and made inroads, enough to create the overlap on the right for Thompson. Bonus point but still not safe. especially as Ballymena got another forwards try in the 35th minute to make it 25 points to 14. The next time Shannon got into Ballymena territory and were awarded a penalty, the sensible option was taken and Thompson slotted it over from about 25 metres in front of the posts. The visitors however, had the last say, when they exploited poor home defence to grab their bonus point score, leaving only seven points between the sides at the end, which meant both sides were happy with their lot as the final whistle blew. Of the subs, the only one not to get a run was Gary McNamara. Shannon; D.O'Donovan, A. Thompson, R.Mullane , J.Clogan, S.Kelly, T. Bennett, F.O'Loughlin, K. O'Neill, S. Cronin (Capt), K. Griffin, P. O'Brien, F. Walsh, J. Paranguiti, C. McMahon, D. Quinlan. Subs: J.Cronin, L. Mullane, Eoghan Grace, J. Moran, G. McNamara match
report and photos: Des O
Dea
Shannon on Top in Thriller * U20 AIL: UL/Bohs v Shannon, Annacotty, Sat 09/02/08, 2pm; SUPPORT THE LADS!!! * U/20 South Western Conference AIL : Shannon 12 UCC 7 Shannon's
U/20 side have made a
huge leap in their aspiration of winning the south-western conference
of the All Ireland League after they shocked leaders and favourites UCC
in Coonagh last Saturday.
In a game which the result was in doubt right up to the final whistle, Shannon performed heroics throughout the game against a side whose individual physical size surpassed that of the home team in almost every position on the park. At times UCC's pack looked as if they could dominate the Shannon eight comfortably, but what Shannon lacked for in size they more than compensated for with their attitude and unadulterated passion. It was their collective will to win that saw them upset the odds and with UCC's league programme complete,Shannon's fate lies entirely in their own hands. The students have finished the league programme on 47 points. With a game to play next week against UL/Bohemian, Shannon have 43 points but with a superior points difference to UCC, so effectively a win next week will see them top the South western Conference and secure automatic passage to the knockout stages of the All Ireland. Saturday was a day that Shannon, to a man stood up and were counted; in the face of adversary they put in a performance of true grit and determination throughout the 80 minutes of normal time and the extra nine that the referee added. After a start they could only dream of, the home side went into a 5 point lead with a try from the maurding no.8 Martin Staunton with barely 2 minutes on the clock. The initial break from scrumhalf Keith Payne paved the way for the perfect start but with a difficult breeze to contend with, Eamon Lane missed the conversion. It was an unexpected beginning for the students, but it wasn't long before their powerful pack had Shannon on the back foot and in difficulty in the set piece. Pinned deep in their '22, it was an eventuality that Shannon would concede a score and UCC's tactic of picking and heading for the 9-10 channel yielded their only try of the game in the 16th minute. The simple conversion was added and the manner in which UCC had picked up the pace had the sideline wondering if they would pull away. It is however a testament to Shannon's tenacity that they restricted the visitors to a single score during that difficult period. Indeed not only did they contain the barrage, they turned over ball frequently and on the 26 minute mark struck for an exquisitely executed try from the top drawer of counterattacking. After Shannon's forwards forced the turnover in their own half, it was left to their speedy backs to take up the mantle. Richie Mullane was first to cut through the defence and layed off to Rory O'Connor whose searing break brought him close to the try line. A wonderful off load to the supporting Eamon Lane gave the outhalf the chance to close the move with a great try. Lane converted his own effort and, surprisingly, that was the last score of the game. It didn't however take anything from the game itself. UCC were far from a beaten side at such an early stage. The quickly reasserted their power game, but bizarrely when awarded a penalty in front of the Shannon posts they elected to pack down. A touch of arrogance perhaps, but it was a tactic that turned against them and on reflection turned the tone of the game in Shannon's favour. Shannon defended the scrum and subsequently ended the half on the front foot and were unlucky not to score again. One sensed the winning of the game lay in that final eight minutes of the first half and it seemed that the confidence the students had was transposed to the home side. The second half was an epic struggle and despite the lack of scores it was high quality entertainment throughout. Shannon played like men possessed. Time and time again they knocked the students backwards through ferocious tackling. There was several outstanding performances from hooker Stanley Hayes to No.8 Martin Staunton, to centre Richie Mullane, but every one of the Shannon participants were outstanding. The students were kept well clear of the Shannon '22 throughout the second half with the exception of the final dramatic closing stages when they desperately searched for a winning score. But again it was Shannon's resolve that held firm and after nine minutes of injury time Shannon could celebrate a well deserved victory. It's a victory that sets them up for what in what is practically a cup game for them next Saturday when they face UL/Bohs. All the hard work of last Saturday will count for nothing if they fail to beat the third placed side in the table but in light of their efforts against UCC they certainly have the ability. match
report: Andrew Mc Namara
Shorts (03/02/08) Various Shannon player's in international
action........Congratulations to Tony
'Mush' Buckley on his 6 Nations debut yesterday as Ireland
laboured to victory over Italy. He joined Marcus Horan and Peter Stringer on the pitch,
replacing ex-Shannon prop, John Hayes.....The
previous evening saw Alan Quinlan,
Trevor Hogan and Donnacha Ryan partake in the Ireland
'A' defeat to England Saxons......The AIB AIL national squad has also
been chosen. Of the 44 players in the squad, only one Shannon player, Andrew Finn was deemed good enough
for selection- Congratulations Andrew, but it is surprising that one of
the top teams in the land (2nd in the league and Munster Senior Cup
winners), gets only one player selected .... maybe the answer to that
will come in May!.......
....Meanwhile, Shannon now know their opponents in the AIB Cup Quarteri-Final. St Mary's College, who beat Clonakilty this weekend in the quarter final, and who also beat Shannon earlier in the season will host the men from the Parish on a date to be announced. Des
O
Dea
Big guns help put the campaign back on track AIL: Shannon 16 Galwegians 5 Compared to others in recent times, this season could be called a veritable feast where it comes to contracted players. Today we had three, including Tony 'Mush' Buckley, who has been named in Eddie O'Sullivan's squad of 22 for the open Six Nations tie against Italy at Croke Park. Congratulations 'Mush'. We wish you the best in your International career. Also on duty today and contributing to a satisfying win were Alan Quinlan and Donnacha Ryan. Quinny's 'recall' was timely as he slotted in at Number 8 to replace his cousin and club captain, David Quinlan, out injured today, but also celebrating his 30th birthday. In his stead today, Sean Cronin took on the mantle of captain.  Shannon needed to get back to winning ways today and they did just that. The performance itself though, even the principals will admit, was not top drawer. One stalwart ventured to suggest that Shannon are currently going through their annual lull. That point was debated and denied with vigour. There is no annual lull. However, we know that this team are capable of better and they will produce better this season. The win today will suffice. A win any day suffices. The bottom line is that Shannon retain 2nd spot in the AIL a full 9 points ahead of the 5th placed team. That, for now, is what counts. Today there was no rain, the sun shone for a while, the ball was reasonably dry, so it was a day to sling it about, although there was a strong wind, one which Shannon played into in the first half. If you play into such a wind and turn around at the break just 2 points in arrears, normally you would be satisfied. But the home team will look back at that first half and wonder why they didn't cross the line at least once, if not twice. Instead, a late break-away try by the visitors put a strange hue on the scoreline and meant that Shannon started the second half chasing the game. At least twice in the first quarter of an hour Andrew Thompson should have been lining up a conversion. Shannon did their best to breach the westerners defence, with crash balls, mauls and wide backline movements, but credit to Galwegians, they held their line intact. Another chance went abegging when left wing, Stephen Kelly raced away and kicked ahead, backing his pace. However, he chose the wrong option to bend and pick the moving ball when a second kick might have done it. The knock-on confirmed this. So Shannon had to be content with a successful penalty kick into the wind by Thommy, after Buckley was dragged illegally into a ruck to open the scoring. This came in the 28th minute. Galwegians got their try just before half-time when a missed tackle in midfield on the half-way line opened it up for them. They had the numbers and did the right thing but were stopped just short of the line. It looked like Shannon had averted the danger and that they had the numbers to defend, but somehow the attackers manager to squeeze over out on the right. Shannon reacted positively to this score and upped the pace of their game and attacked first from a lineout maul then from pop balls to runners. But they ran out of time in the half just when it looked like they would pull the trigger. Shannon's first try, when it came, was scored not by one of those who had toiled since the first whistle. No, it was Colm McMahon who just 15 second previously had come on as substitute for Leonard Mullane. His first touch was a 3 metre carry to the line, almost in the same spot that Galwegians had scored in the first half, wide on the right. It went unconverted but we didn't care - we were back in the lead, a lead we would not relinquish. Colm proved to be an inspiring substitution as, for the remainder of the game, he was very much involved and each time he carried he made significant ground, looking very strong with ball in hand.  AIB Man of the Match (right) was Phil O'Connor (apologies Phil for the failing camera battery !) , very much an unsung hero, but a player who rarely puts a foot wrong, who is prepared to put his head where most wouldn't put their boot and who is one of our most consistent players this season - one to watch. Shannon's 2nd and last try came in the 23rd minute of the second half. At that stage, they were in total control, charging at the light blues, Quinny and Mush at the forefront. Having gone right and been repelled inside the 22, following a number of drives, the decision was made to whisk it left out the line. David O'Donovan made the final pass to Kelly, who saw enough daylight between himself and the left corner. Like Simon Geoghan of yore, these situations are made for Kelly and he dully delivered. 16-5 it was and 16-5 it remained, despite the passionate calls from the faithful to finish the job with a 'boner'. That they didn't add to their score might have had something to do with the fact that, firstly, Fiach O'Loughlin had to retire with injury, then his replacement at scrum half, fullback David O'Donovan, hobbled off. The back-line finished with Tadhg Bennett at scrum-half and Colm McMahon on the wing. Shannon ended up using their full squad of 22. We will gladly take the win, just as we will gladly take any win in this competition. And we will rest easily tonight in the full knowledge that the best has yet to come from this team this season. This is the first of 3 successive home games in this league. Next, we welcome Ballymena to Coonagh (16th Feb), then Terenure (1st March). Shannon D.O'Donovan, A. Thompson, R.Mullane , J.Clogan, S.Kelly, T. Bennett, F.O'Loughlin, K. O'Neill, S. Cronin (Capt), T. Buckley, P. O'Brien, D, Ryan, L. Mullane, P. O'Connor, A. Quinlan. Subs: J.Cronin, F. Walsh, C. McMahon, J. Manuele, K. Griffin. match
report and photos: Des O
Dea
Shock result gives Dungannon first AIL win over Shannon Dungannon 25 Shannon 18 In what was probably the shock result not only of last Saturday but probably the entire AIB league campaign to date, bottom side Dungannon recorded their first ever victory over pace setters Shannon in Stevenson Park. It was a scene of jubilation around the Northern club's base as their side outscored Shannon by three tries to two in a performance that was inspired by former internationals Justin Fitzpatrick and Johnny Bell. Shannon never really settled into their usual pattern of play and looked as if they would leave empty handed as the clock ran down and trailing Dungannon by 25-12. However, two late penalties by Andrew Thompson ensured a losing bonus point was their only glimmer of light in an otherwise miserable day out. Shannon did contribute enormously to their own downfall; gifting the home side two tries in the second half, both coming from the experienced Johnny Bell. His first came in the 4th minute of the second half when he pounced on a wild Shannon pass, intercepted and raced the 50 odd meters to the try line. By now Dungannon were in full flight gaining confidence as the minutes ticked away. His second was another gift when Shannon failed to deal properly with a high Garryowen and Bell was again the beneficiary. 25 -12 was the highly unlikely scoreline by now, and Shannon were finding it extremely difficult to break down Dungannon's admirable resilience. It was all going reasonably well for the visitors in the first half. They may not have dominated the proceedings but they did score two tries to Dungannon's two penalties with 41 minutes of the opening half played. Winger Andrew Finn darted over on the 20 minute mark after his forwards secured a 5 metre lineout .Two successive penalties for Richard McArthur gave Dungannon the initiative, but still Shannon looked comfortable. Their lineout was functioning extremely well and their second try came from clean possession out of touch. Richie Mullane, starting his first AIB league game took an excellent line to burst over the line unoppossed and with Thompson's conversion Shannon looked safe at 12-6 to the good, but the whole momentum of the game swung in Dungannon's favour almost immediately after that, despite having Tomas Anderson sin binned for hauling down a maul in the build up to Mullane's try. Shannon returned the restart to touch where Dungannon took good ball and wing forward Andy Hughes made an excellent run to break up the Shannon defence. The ball was quickly recycled and although they were halted just short of the line Dungannon found enough space on the fringes for Derek Hall to barge his way over for a huge morale boosting try. With the conversion added they trailed by just a single point at the turnaround and the confidence then began to gather momentum as the second half progressed. Few would predicted the result prior to the game, but Dungannon were full value for their historic win, although they still remain precariously close to the drop zone, while Shannon are still very much in the hunt, trailing the top spot by one point. Shannon D.O'Donovan, A.Finn(J.Manuele), R.Mullane , J.Clogan, S.Kelly, A.Thompson, F.O'Loughlin, K. O'Neill(G.McNamara) S. Cronin, K.Griffin, T.Hogan, F.Walsh, J.Paranguiti(P.O'Connor), N.Ronan, D.Quinlan(P.O'Brien) match
report: Andrew Mc Namara
Winner of players' holiday fund Draw, 2 Tickets to Munster v Wasps: Padraigh Power of Nolan Ryan Quantity Surveyors Congratulations! Shannon win ugly in the wind and rain - defence absolutely superb AIB: Shannon 3 Cork Constitution 0 The roar that went up at the final whistle from supporters and players alike said it all - this was a huge win for the home team. Not only does it leap-frog them back to the top of division one, but psychologically, in the scheme of things, this was immense.  One incident towards the end of this game told us a lot about the resilience of this Shannon team, about the confidence they have in each other, about what the jersey means to them, about the Herculean effort that was put in over the 90 or so minutes. 3-nil up, 5 minutes of normal time left, Cons having missed two chances to draw level with penalty attempts - one which never got off the ground, the other which was pulled to the left and wide. Having been awarded a 3rd kickable penalty they decided to go for the corner. Cons won the line-out and started a series of drives for the line, each of which was repelled. Remember, this was about the 5th time in the match that Cons had pummelled our line. The previous 4 were successfully defended by the home team. By now, Shannon should have been tired, and one sensed they were. But somehow, from somewhere, only known to the 15 heroes on the pitch at the time, they summoned up the strength once more to snuff out what seemed like the inevitable. Cons continued to drive on and eventually powered over the Shannon line but were held up. We feared the worst when they recycled and cranked up for what they thought would be the scoring drive. What happened next had to be seen to be believed. In unison, the Shannon pack with the help of one or two of their backs not only stopped Con but drove them fully 15 metres back. That was the winning of this match. Superb from a superb bunch of lads prepared to die for the jersey and one another.  There were other incidents in this game worth mentioning. Like the few lineout steals (2 in a row at one stage). Like the two long, touch-line hugging clearance kicks from Andrew Finn. Like Tadhg Bennett's wonderful 55 metre clearance kick from behind his own line in the second-half, which brought play into Con territory. Like the impact Colm McMahon and Trevor Hogan (yes Trevor Hogan - welcome back, Trevor - both from injury and to the Blue and Black shirt) made when they came on - fresh legs when they were needed. Like Trevor's first catch at the next lineout. Like Fergal 'Stretch' Walsh's AIB Man of the Match performance. Like the tackling (all day). Like Stephen Kelly's kick and chases - keeping Cons honest. But most of all it was the defence - and not for the first time this season either - that won the game for Shannon. You might score against Shannon this season, but if you do, you know you will have earned it. Shannon's and the game' s only score came in the 22nd minute. Bennett having earlier missed a more difficult penalty into a difficult wind, Andrew Thompson was then given a chance, to the right of the posts. He coolly slotted it home. Little did Shannon or anyone know at that point that all they needed to do was defend that slender 3 point lead to win. But that they did - and how well they did it. On the weekend that's in it: tres mangnifique!  That's two wins this season out of two against Con. Sweet, always sweet beating the Cork heavyweights. One suspects, however, that there yet may be another chapter in this particular saga before the season is out. Shannon David O'Donovan, Andrew Finn, Andrew Thompson, John Clogan, Stephen Kelly, Tadhg Bennett, Fiach O'Loughlin, Killian O’Neill, Sean Cronin, Kevin Griffin, Padraig O’Brien, Fergal Walsh, Leonard Mullane, Phil O;Connor, David Quinlan Subs: Jason Cronin, Trevor Hogan (50mins), Colm McMahon (50 mins), Eoghan Grace (60 mins, Gary McNamara match
report and photos: Des O
Dea
|
SHANNON
RFC DOG NIGHT - LIMERICK RACE TRACK 24th APRIL 2008: 
