Leitrim duo clash in Connacht Senior League Final as Carrick U15s suffer unlucky defeat

Local players Matthew Earley and Shane Layden were on opposite sides of the Connacht Rugby Senior League Final with Leitrim Village's Earley scoring a try and captaining Sligo to a 49-17 victory over Leydon's Buccaneers side.

Former Connacht and Ireland youth international Leydon started on the wing for the Athlone team but with Earley scoring a try in the first half, Sligo led 18-10 at the break. Sligo would go on to pull away convincingly in the second half, the perfect boost before Earley and the Yeatsmen host AIL champions Terenure College in the opening round of the AIL on September 30.

Matthew Earley on the break for Sligo against Buccaneers Picture: Breifne Earley FinalWhistle.ie

CARRICK U15s FALL TO UNLUCKY DUNMORE DEFEAT

On a perfect day for rugby, the Carrick lads travelled to Dunmore  determined to make up for their last performance at the same ground last December. By the time the final whistle blew the result was, unfortunately, the same as they fell to a 19-12 defeat  in this season's opening fixture at U15.

Whilst the Carrick squad numbered only 16 due to injury and unavailability, there was a healthy mix of experienced players and the added option of three new players to the squad - the Elphin duo of Oran Oates and Noel Dowd as well as Carrick's Jude Kennedy. All three went on to acquit themselves very well in their very first rugby match with Oates's performance in particular catching the eye.

Irish rugby players spotted cruising down Parisian street on alternate transport

Carrick  dominated the first half in terms of territory and possession but their over-reliance on  Krystian Kopczynski resulted in predictability, poorly executed plays and a shortage of options. 

Too many handling errors, poor running lines and a series of  unforced penalties when in excellent scoring positions kept Carrick scoreless. Just before the half hour and on the one occasion that Dunmore encroached into the Carrick half they scored after a series of poorly missed tackles. 7-0 to Dunmore at half-time.

After a stern chat at halftime the Carrick team focused on the basics and started to move the ball around with more accuracy. However, consistently poor tackling allowed Dunmore in again for another try. 12-0 Dunmore.

The Carrick RFC U15 team who lost to Dunmore. (Back, from left) Rory Connaughton, Solomon Gleeson, John Mee, Krystian Kopczynski, Seamus McGuire, Timothy Tansey, Noel Dowd, Louis Glancy, Theo Gately, Oran Oates. (Front) John Mulvanerty, Jude Kennedy, Cavan McGourty, Jack Foley, Rory McNabola, John Boyd

This had a major 'wake-up' effect and  spurred the Carrick lads into action. A series of great straight-line running attacks in the first ten minutes of the second half by Seamus McGuire, the excellent U14 Cavan McGourty, John Mee, Rory Connaughton, Theo Gately, Krystian Kopczynski and particularly newcomer Oran Oates, the Carrick boys began to really assert themselves. 

They were rewarded by a well-taken try by Mee, after a really well worked scrum. Try converted very well by Jack Foley to leave the score at 12-7 to Dunmore. 

However, on the restart, Carrick put themselves under serious pressure with another basic mistake, when they knocked on inside their own 22m line. They managed to hold out very well with some stout defending on this occasion despite relentless pressure from the Dunmore pack and mobile back unit. 

This spurred Carrick on and after a series of rucks where they managed to secure the ball and good straight line running the ball ended up in the hands of Rory Connaughton on the right wing who proceeded to plough his way through three Dunmore tackles and touched down. The conversion was missed. 12-12 with five minutes left. 

Rugby World Cup: Ireland v South Africa - where and when to watch

On the restart, Carrick knocked on inside their own 22 metre line which gave the ball straight back to Dunmore. A period of relentless pressure from the Dunmore pack resulted from that penalty scrum and despite heroic efforts from the entire Carrick defence, Dunmore crossed over the line, the try was converted leaving the final score at 19-12.

Carrick were  the better team on the day and despite only having 16 players as opposed to Dunmore's 24, there is much hope that, once the unenviable, yet fixable, catalogue of unforced errors is minimised and with better game management, they can go on and do very well in this Connacht league. Their next opportunity will be away to Loughrea next weekend.