Missing 9 of their regular team, a depleted Clondalkin 3rds side put up a courageous battle against a top of the table Barnhall outfit on Saturday 14th February, before ultimately going down 17 points to 7.
Including the likes of Eamonn Stapleton, Tom Duffy and coach Declan Flanagan with a combined experience of 130 years, Clondalkin started the match in aggressive form, putting immediate pressure on Barnhall without managing to trouble the scoreboard. Perhaps anticipating a relatively easy match against a Clondalkin side sitting at the opposite end of the table, Barnhall quicly realised that they had a game on their hands and began to put ball to boot to try and pin the home team back in their own half. Securing a line out on the Clon 5 meter line, a pick and drive from the catch brought Barnhall their first points of the match by driving over the line. Failing to add the conversion, Barnhall continued with the same tactics and from a second 5 meter line out they registered the 2nd score of the game, again failing to convert. The whistle blew for half-time with the score 10 points to 0 for the away team.
The second half began with much of the same from Barnhall, putting pressure on the Clon line but on this occasion the home team weathered the storm and by picking up the pace of the game they started to make inroads into the Barnhall half. Securing a line-out in the Barnhall 22, Clon set up a good attacking platform and after a number of phases, Stephen McKenna was put clear and scored an excellent try under the posts, his second of the season. Outhalf Colin Lyons added the 2 points to make it a 3 point game between the sides and everything to play for. Caution was thrown to the wind with both sides opening up but it was Barnhall who made the post of their possession and scored a converted try to leave the final score 17 points to 7. Plenty of grit and determination from the home side against the league leaders with no let off in effort and intensity until the final whistle blew.
Clondalkin 3XV: S McCabe, D Flanagan, A Brown, E Stapleton, D Moore, M O’Rourke, J Holland, S McKenna, R Skelton, C Lyons, D Nolan, J Edgeworthson, C Murphy, H McKenna, R Connor, Sub: T Duffy.
Bonus feature: video highlights.
