Buccs now in relegation trouble

An abysmal display by Buccaneers dumps the midlanders into the relegation mire following their 18-0 AIB League Division One defeat at home to fellow strugglers Young Munster in Dubarry Park, Athlone, on Easter Saturday. This was absolutely grim viewing in a real 'eight pointer' where Buccs should have made home advantage pay but they never really raised a gallop and certainly never got the sparse attendance, typical of bank holiday weekend fixtures (when will the IRFU learn not to schedule club matches for long weekends?), behind them. Making just one change in personnel - Conor Lavelle coming in on the wing for the unavailable Aidan Wynne, with Paul Harte switching to centre - much better was expected of Buccs in this relegation battle by their diehard supporters. A home win and Buccaneers" status in Division One would be ensured for next season. Munsters, of course, needed victory even more because they need to win their two final fixtures to have any prospect of avoiding the dreaded drop. They came prepared and willing to battle, and clearly benefited from their "back" match last weekend against St. Mary"s College when Buccaneers were inactive. The midlanders, meanwhile, spilled balls, messed passes, and lacked focus. A shortfall in confidence was all too evident while a lack of leadership continues to be a problem. Most worryingly and disappointing was an apparent disinterest by some players. Young Munster are a limited outfit; decently drilled and relatively cute in the pack but - Mike Prendergast apart - not a lot to offer in their backline. Yet they were worthy and comfortable winners in a game on which so much of Buccs" season hinged. Playing in their away strip, confidence surged through the "Cookies" as the game progressed while Buccs never got motoring and rarely looked like scoring. Injury ruled Alex Hayman out for this vital tie and his tackling and organisational ability were factors again sorely absent in the home side while Sean Carey"s cutting edge too was missed. But the game began promisingly enough for Buccs with Adrian Hanley finding a super touch in the opening minute, before Alan Gaughan was short with a long-range penalty on six minutes. Three minutes later, the visitor"s full-back Mark Connolly was sin-binned for an innocuous enough infringement but Buccaneers were unable to capitalise. Instead Young Munster came closest to scoring after 15 minutes but a forward pass ruled out Stephen Carey"s break. The visitors soon realised that this game was there for the taking and they piled on huge pressure towards the end of the opening quarter, but a nervy Buccs held their line intact. However, they soon coughed up the opening score and, as has happened too often this season, it was needlessly conceded. Gaughan had loads of time to clear his lines but was indecisive and got nailed in possession on his own 22, with Clem Casey scampering away for a 27th minute try which Connolly could not convert. Buccs should have levelled on 35 minutes when, after Simon Rolleston punted a magnificent touch to the left, Clifford Richardson caught the Young Munster throw-in. The visitors were tempted over the top but following a tapped penalty Buccs spilled the ball when a try looked inevitable and Young Munster quickly counter-attacked to half-way, where Buccs got in a tangle from Matthew Costello"s hack on and conceded a penalty which Connolly slotted over. With confidence now surging through their side, the "Cookies" got a slice or three of good fortune just before the break. Crossing was ignored in the build-up as Ger Flaherty surged forward and the prop should surely have been penalised for not releasing the ball when grounded while, rubbing salt into Buccs" wounds, Kieran O"Gorman was inexplicably yellow-carded when stepping through to pick up the now loose ball. This gave Connolly a handy penalty to stretch Young Munster"s lead to 11-0 with the final kick of a poor first half. The Limerick side had the benefit of the freshening breeze for the second half and, unlike their hosts, they made their numerical superiority pay. They enjoyed a decent spell of controlled play on the restart and then showed quick hands when moving the ball wide to the right where Mark McHugh powered in for a fine 43rd minute try which Connolly did well to convert. Surprisingly, this proved to be the final score of a game which didn"t get any better. When Buccs did look like achieving something on 50 minutes, Rolleston, not for the first time this season, saw his attempted skipped pass go awry when more patient play may have yielded a better dividend. Munsters had a couple of opportunities too but Danny Riordan stretched to cut out a Costello pass while Connolly was extremely close with a drop goal as the rain now teemed down. Riordan then knocked on after 62 minutes when quickly tapping a penalty when referee David Keane really should have allowed the play to develop before awarding this penalty as Buccs had retained possession and had an overlap. Then Rolleston made a promising break but, typical of the midlanders" endeavours, knocked on. With props Michael Diffley and Kevin Moran both withdrawn through injury, the final ten minutes had uncontested scrums as the game ebbed to its inevitable conclusion. This was a shockingly inept display by Buccaneers and doesn"t inspire confidence for the final fixture of the season next Saturday, albeit at home to Old Belvedere. Richardson lacks match fitness yet but was still one of Buccs" better operators in the pack where both hookers Marcus Madden and Garreth Halligan toiled ceaselessly. Harte was Buccs best performer on the day while Lavelle also did reasonably well. Young Munster No. 8 Kiwi McHugh was head and shoulders above anyone on the park, Shane Hassett was a busy flanker, their front row had the edge, and scrum-half Mike Prendergast dictated matters as the visitors got the win that throws them a lifeline. BUCCANEERS: D. Riordan; C. Lavelle, P. Harte, A. Gaughan, J. O"Brien; S. Rolleston, M. Bruce; M. Diffley, M. Madden, K. Moran; C. Richardson, J. Tormey; K. Kiripati, K. O"Gorman, A. Hanley (capt.). Replacements used: B. Gilligan (for Moran, 54 mins), G. Halligan (for Madden, 57), C. Watters (for O"Gorman, 61), G. Kelly (for Diffley, 71). YOUNG MUNSTER: M. Connolly; S. Carey, C. Casey, D. Corcoran (capt.), M. Costello; D. Upton, M. Prendergast; G. Flaherty, G. Slattery, A. Cottor; S. O"Neill, D. Payne; B. Guilfoyle, S. Hassett, M. McHugh. Replacements used: J. Gilmartin (for O"Neill, 67 mins), H. McGrath (for Cottor, 67), C. Clohessy (for Prendergast, 77). REFEREE: David Keane (Leinster).