Creggs RFC 15 Corinthians RFC 9

Creggs U18’s continued their very impressive recent form with a very good victory over a strong Corinthians outfit last Sunday in Creggs. Games between these teams have been very close over the last number of seasons and this game certainly was no different.

Having lost to the Galway outfit in the U17 league final last May, the Creggs boys always knew this game would go down to the wire and so it proved again this very competitive U18 Division 1 league game.

Corinthians started the game stronger and scored two early penalties to take a 6-0 lead after 8 minutes. Creggs began to get their hands on some ball and go through some phases after the early pressure and some great play from Melvin Conteh, Danny Arnold, Adam Finnerty and Ronan Cahill allowed Creggs to gain some territory and when Corinthians committed a late tackle offence on Creggs number 10 Shane Purcell 30 metres out, Purcell stood up and kicked to points to get Creggs on the scoreboard.

Creggs continued to attack and after 15 minutes got in for a very well worked try, following good work from David O Gorman and Adam Finnerty up front, Creggs moved the ball wide and Jason Hoare broke the tackle to release Mairtin Quinn who drew the defender to pass to Amuray Duarte to dive in at the corner. Creggs continued to defend well until just before half time when another offside offence was committed outside the 22″ and Corinthians slotted the resultant penalty to take a 9-8 lead to half time.

Creggs kept the pressure on the visitors in the second half and good game management from Coyle at 9 and Purcell at 10 kept Corinthians pinned back in their half for long periods but Creggs needed a score and to take risks and after a period of prolonged pressure where Conteh, Arnold, Cahill and Brian Maloney gained good yards, Eoghan Coyle dived in for the score which Purcell converted for a 15 -9 Lead with 10 minutes remaining.

Creggs continued to keep Corinthians Pinned back and tacked ferociously around the fringes through Dan Butt, Matthew Curley and Edward Clinton and out wide Daire Byrne and Domhaill Forrest were defending the spaces well but when they were reduced to 13 players after 2 yellow cards in quick succession with 9 minutes remaining, it looked like the remaining minutes could prove difficult but the lads dug deep and continued to defend and keep the visitors in their own half to hold out for a very worthwhile victory,

Training For the U18’s is next Friday night at 8.30pm