All-Ireland League Round-up:Garryowen, with trademark grittiness, gave themselves a play-off lifeline at the top of the AIB All-Ireland League first division with a hard-earned 12-10 win over Clontarf at Castle Avenue in Saturday's televised match of the day.
The Dooradoyle club still lie just outside the top four on points difference behind their Limerick rivals Shannon and will probably need a bonus-point win in their final match at home to Galwegians in a fortnight, while hoping one of the three teams above them slip up.
Conor Kilroy was Garryowen's match-winner with four penalties out of four, three of them with the stiff first-half breeze to earn a 9-7 interval lead, including one from his own half. In a tight, fluctuating game in which defences were on top, referee Alan Rogan's severity in penalising tackled players for not releasing militated against fluidity.
Clontarf could scarcely buy a lineout in the opening quarter, although matters improved with the introduction of Niall Carson, and their scrum also struggled.
Hence, the resourceful Fiach O'Loughlin was obliged to turn dross into usable ball and their only try came when Darragh O'Shea followed up a penalty by Conal Keane, which Kilroy curiously palmed downward from under his bar, to score adroitly. When Clontarf cranked up the intensity and got their patterns going in the final quarter, O'Shea was held up just short of the line by Ciarán O'Boyle before Keane missed a penalty and Peter O'Brien was wide with two drop-goal attempts.
"The defences were good and both sides went at hammer and tongs," said Garryowen coach Paul Cunningham.
The consequences for Clontarf, with UL Bohemians usurping them in second place thanks to a bonus-point 29-7 win over Galwegians, will probably be an away semi-final in Annacotty.
"In fairness to Garryowen, they were very dogged," admitted Phil Werahiko. "We managed to get a bit of fluency and we had our opportunities but lacked the killer instinct."
A remarkable four-try, 37-point haul by Richie Lane helped Cork Con secure top spot in a 62-12 win over Terenure College, while Shannon stayed above Garryowen with a 26-15 win at Blackrock; the league specialists know a bonus point win at home to Dolphin will secure a play-off place.
Dolphin are not entirely safe yet, despite a bonus point in their 23-17 defeat at Lansdowne. Buccaneers were condemned to relegation by their 37-16 defeat at home to UCD, who now entertain Belfast Harlequins - a 20-12 win at Ballymena continuing their eye-catching revival under Alan Solomons - in a last-day relegation decider.
Co Carlow will be miffed that the division two runaway champions, Old Belvedere, conceded a bonus point to Malone at Anglesea Road which effectively relegated the Oak Park club despite their bonus-point win over Thomond.
