Old Crescent RFC

Club Notes, 24 February 2015

Old Crescent RFC senior team resumed their UBL programme after a three week break with a home fixture last Saturday against first time visitors to Rosbrien, Ards RFC. Ards belied their lowly position at the bottom of the Division 2B table and proved difficult opponents for Old Crescent on a pitch that was sodden after heavy overnight rain.

Crescent applied early pressure and were very unlucky not to be awarded a try after superbly mauling the ball over the Ards line.  Unfortunately, the referee decided that the ball was held up and awarded the scrum to Ards from which they scrambled out of danger.

Crescent finally got over the Ards try line after 25 minutes, when Rory Cunningham crashed over from close in.  Shane O’Brien kicked the convert to put us 7 points to nil in front.  Crescent had a few more chances to score before half time but nothing came of them.

We increased our lead a few minutes into the second half when Shane O’Brien successfully slotted a penalty.  However, we were finding it difficult to break down a team that on paper should have given us little trouble.  Any thoughts of a bonus point win were soon dispelled as we fought hard to secure a win by any margin.

We finally put some daylight between ourselves and our visitors midway through the seconds half when Larry Hanly burst through for a try close to the Ards posts after some intense Crescent pressure. Shane again added the conversion points.

Further tries proved beyond us and we finished the game with Ards camped on the Crescent line.  Three yellow cards in quick succession for defensive infringements close to our line resulted in Crescent finishing the game with only 12 players and Ards finally getting in for a consolation try which they failed to convert.

The final score, Old Crescent 17 Ards 5, left the home players and supporters feeling unusually deflated after a win when so much more was hoped for.

Our Seconds side travelled to Tralee last Sunday to take on Killorglin in the Munster Junior Plate.  After a hard fought game, played in very difficult weather conditions, Old Crescent emerged as worthy winners by 13 points to 8.

In fixtures next weekend, our Senior team travel to Kanturk to take on Kanturk RFC in the UBL at 2.30pm next Saturday. Once again, the Club is running a supporters bus to this important game.  The bus will leave from Anthony O’Dwyer’s Bar in Wolf Tone St at 12.00 noon next Saturday and arrive back at 7.30pm. Bus is €10 return. To book a seat on the bus, text or call Anthony O’Dwyer on 087 2214140 or call O’Dwyers Bar 061 315072 ASAP.

Our Under 20’s take on Sunday’s Well at home in Rosbrien at 2.30pm next Saturday in a Donal Walsh Cup playoff.  In Under Age fixtures, our Under 14’s take on Presentation in an Under 14 Final at home in Rosbrien next Monday evening at 7.00pm.