Progress pleases coach despite loss to Skerries
ENNISCORTHY 23 SKERRIES 28
THIS WAS a pulsating Leinster League Division 1A contest between two of the best Junior rugby teams in the province. The pace and skill of the match was astonishing at times.
A record crowd filled Ross Road on Saturday and they were rewarded with the standard of rugby produced by two solid ball-running teams.
Enniscorthy struck first when out-half Ivan Poole produced one of his mazy runs for an excellent try and, for good measure, he kicked the conversion.
David Hewitt kept Skerries in touch with two superb penalties.
Just before half-time, there was hesitancy at the back when Enniscorthy wing Fiacre Ryan and full-back Ross Barbour failed to deal with a hopeful upfield punt from Hewitt, and Paul Devitt took full advantage to score a try.
The frantic pace of the match continued in the second-half and again Enniscorthy went in front after some excellent exchanges. Ivan Poole was stopped short of the line and a scrum was awarded to the home side. Number eight Graham Murphy picked from the back of the scrum and flew in from five metres. Ivan Poole kicked the difficult conversion.
Enniscorthy were leading 17-14 when hooker John 'Nipper' Howe was sin-binned.
In his resulting ten minutes' absence, Skerries score a converted try.
Ivan Poole added two further penalties but Skerries were not to outdone and scored another try to finish five points in front. Skerries now look odds-on to win the division whilst Enniscorthy are just one point behind second-placed Tullamore who were beaten by Garda.
Enniscorthy coach Damien Mccabe said: 'The players and myself are disappointed but Skerries were just more clinical and they didn't make as many mistakes as we did. It was a fantastic match and at the start of the season if I was asked would we be happy to finish in the top half of the table, I would have been delighted.
'So to be right up there in the top four is just super. We are not finished the season and our aim is to keep winning, try to finish second, and be there just in case Skerries might slip up. The top four teams play in the Irish Junior Cup and that is another one of our aims.
'I am bowled over by the emergence of so many young players of quality coming through. My only concern with this now is the current state of the economy because to lose some of our players to emigration would be a disaster. I'm unhappy to lose but happy with progress being made,' he added.
Team: Ciarán Murphy, John Howe, Luke Goff, John Bracken, Johnny Leech, Mitchell Dalton, Tony Ryan, Graham Murphy, Alan Jacob, Ivan Poole, Fiacre Ryan (Stephen Dalton), Damien Mccabe, Hughie O'neill, Richard Dunne, Ross Barbour (capt.). Subs. - Pat Doyle, Paddy Waters.
Enniscorthy are away to Coolmine on Sunday, with the firsts at 2.30 p.m. and the seconds at 1 p.m.
The thirds play Portlaoise at 2.30 p.m. on Sunday in Portlaoise where victory would give them the league title.
