Having received a bye in round one, Clondalkin traveled down to Leinster Division 1B side Kilkenny in this Town’s Cup last-16 match on Sunday 16th February. In the end it was 5-times winners Kilkenny who ground out the win in front of a large home crowd.
Despite the large quantities of rainfall in recent weeks, credit to Kilkenny for the condition of their pitch which held up well in this tense affair. Clondalkin had the first opportunity to score and go 3-0 up but Chris Jebb drove his penalty chance wide of the posts. Clondalkin had the majority of the play at this stage of the first half and after a concerted bout of pressure, Derek Lennon went through the Kilkenny defence to score a try under the posts. As the rain came down, Chris Jebb added the conversion which unfortunately proved to be Clondalkin’s final score of the match.
Spurred on by the home support, Kilkenny laid siege to the Clondalkin line and after a disallowed try they managed to successfully get over the line following a break from their No. 8 at the back of a scrum, five metres out. The conversion was missed and Clondalkin went into the break with a narrow 2 point lead.
Kilkenny began the second half with a renewed level of intensity and after 55 minutes, their reward came with a try from their centre in the corner which they failed to convert. They did however have the lead and their dominance in possession made it very difficult for Clondalkin to regain any momentum. The away team were also guilty of gifting any ball they did win back to Kilkenny though a series of unenforced errors and dropped passes. The dominant team went on to seal the result when their number 8 powered over for a try with just minutes remaining. Despite a final burst of attacking play, it was too much too late for Clondalkin who now go into the Plate competition, where they will hope to repeat their success of 2010. Their form away from Gordon Park has been Clondalkin’s Achilles heel all season and despite the individual efforts of Ben Foran, Ali Collier and Jack Dooley in particular on Sunday, the team as a unit were unable to live with the greater hunger that Kilkenny showed.
Wanderers away on Sunday next in Landsdowne Road is the next challenge for Clondalkin in the first of their final two league matches of the season.
Clondalkin: – C. Jebb, B. Molloy, A. Dixon, A. Collier, N. Nolan, B. Foran, M. Russell, P. Nolan (C), N. Finlay, J. Dooley, S. King, R. Dever, C. Cullen, J. Kenny, M. Moynihan. Subs: – C. Moloney, K. Kelly, D. Glennon, M. Molloy, D. Gaule.
