Buccaneers slump to first home defeat of the season as Bohs prevail

BUCCANEERS suffered their first home defeat of the season when their somewhat flat performance was duly punished by UL Bohemian in their Ulster Bank League Division 1B encounter played in ideal sunny conditions at Dubarry Park. Both Shane Monahan and Clifford Richardson were available for the hosts but Paul Harte was out due to the hip injury aggravated away to UCC. Meanwhile, UL Bohs continued to juggle their resources and fielded a much-changed team for this 'Hugh Campbell & Co' sponsored match to the side defeated at Annacotty when the clubs met earlier in the season. Buccs opened the scoring with a 4th minute Adam Kennedy penalty but UL Bohs had no kicking tee when they got a penalty chance just two minutes later and Ed Torrie was unable to convert. However, quick moving of the ball by the visitors yielded a Sean Rennison try at the posts converted by full-back Torrie after just 12 minutes in a lively start by both sides. The midlanders had the better of the exchanges at this stage and Shane Monahan thundered forward at the end of the opening quarter to suck in a lot of defenders but the home support was much too slow in arriving. Some tidy interplay by centres Aidan Wynne and Alex Hayman looked like unlocking the UL Bohs cover just three minutes later, but a thumping covering tackle by Darren Moroney forced Hayman to knock on a couple of metres short of the visitors' line. Buccs continued to press and forced a penalty near the 22 when their maul discomforted the visitors but Kennedy was off-target on 25 minutes. Buccaneers finally added to their tally when Kolo Kiripati initiated the 31st minute move that was finished off in the right corner by Callum Boland for a well taken try that Kennedy was unable to convert from the touchline. This gave the midlanders a single point lead that was to last a mere two minutes as UL Bohs promptly responded with Cathal Sheridan's cute angled kick catching the Pirates asleep and winger Moroney got in for a cheap try wide on the left. Although Torrie missed the conversion, this was a bad score to concede and gave UL Bohs a 12-8 half-time lead. A freshening breeze assisted the visitors in the second period which they dominated territorially but had to work hard for a pair of Torrie penalties. The first arrived on 51 minutes when Richardson dissented to being penalised which cost Buccs an extra ten metres, making the penalty a kickable one. Thirteen minutes later, home supporters could rightly feel aggrieved when a UL Bohs player clearly knocked on following a shuddering tackle by 'Athlone Springs Hotel Man of the Match' Shane Monahan but referee David Wilkinson (whose officiating was inconsistent) penalised the home winger for the second offence in not releasing after the tackle and Torrie gratefully accepted this gift. This gave UL Bohs a 18-8 advantage as the Limerick side neutralised their hosts to good effect (especially the homesters' influential backrow), spoiling cleverly and getting away with lineout throws that were regularly not down the channel. However, the Athlone team lacked the spark and imagination of earlier in the season with only Monahan, Conor Higgins and substitute Conor Lavelle making inroads. Kiripati, Richardson and John O'Brien showed slick handling in one promising raid, but Buccs just could not conjure the magic to recover their earlier momentum. Nevertheless, their battling qualities earned a 74th minute David Connellan penalty that salvaged what yet could be a crucial losing bonus point, while UL Bohemian's fourth successive victory means that they too are now very much in the promotion hunt. One minute's silence was observed prior to the game in memory of referee Denis Connolly, who died recently. BUCCANEERS: J.O'Brien; C.Boland, A.Hayman, A.Wynne, S.Monahan; J.Carty, A.Kennedy; M.Staunton, G.Halligan (captain), C.Higgins; C.Richardson, P. de Burca; S.Burke, C.Watters, K.Kiripati. Replacements: D.Rogers (for Staunton, 47 mins), C.Lavelle (for Hayman, 69 mins), D.Connellan (for Kennedy, 69 mins), E.Rooney (for Burke, 75 mins) and M.Madden (for Watters, 78 mins). UL BOHEMIAN: E.Torrie; F.Ryan, M.McPhail (captain), D.Moloney, D.Moroney; A.McNulty, C.Sheridan; K.Flanagan, E.Rossiter, P.O'Regan; K.Bracken, E.Kelly; K.O'Gorman, I.Condell, S.Rennison. Replacements: C.Delooze (for Sheridan, 44 mins), K.Essex (for Rennison, 52 mins) and M.Kinsella (for Moloney, 75 mins). REFEREE: David Wilkinson. (IRFU).