Tullamore climb to third in AIL

Tullmore made it four straight wins in a down after a bruising victory against Midleton at the weekend.

All-Ireland Rugby League Division 2C

Tullamore 20

Midleton 13

Tullamore settled into this game well and got off the mark early with a Conor Dunne penalty. Tullamore looked measured and controlled with ball in hand and doubled their lead through some indiscipline by the Midleton flanker. There was a strong wind favouring the visitors, and they started to kick the ball deep into Tullamore’s half.

Midleton eventually earned a line out on the 22 metre line. From the resulting line out a rolling maul was set up. Tullamore failed to subdue the threat and the visitors gathered momentum. They eventually earned a penalty try as the home side were adjudged to deliberately collapse the maul. Midleton shot back again with an excellent 50/22 to work their way back to the Tullamore 5 metre line. Midleton won possession and rattled their way around the corner to work their way inches from the line. They eventually worked their way over the line to leave the score at 13-6 at half time.

Tullamore bounced back and showed much more precision in the in the final third. Tullamore used the wind to their advantage and launched the ball with every opportunity. Leon Fox, Mark Kennedy and Gavin Kelly carried aggressively and tenaciously to build deep into the Midleton rearguard. Conor Dunne found a gap in the defensive line and wriggled his way over the line to claw the side back into the contest. Dunne then converted his own try to take the lead.

Tullamore weren’t finished there and battled back to the 22 metre line. Liam Farrell got the ball out wide and chipped the ball just over the try line.The Midleton defence pounced on the ball and had a goal line drop out. The drop out found its way to Lance Batten, who carried the ball back to the 22. He then popped the ball to Brian Geraghty who made his way to the 5 metre line. Leon Fox then carried the ball and bounced 2 defenders to score Tullamore’s second try. Dunne converted the score the leave the tie at 20-13.

This was to be the final big action of the game and Tullamore came away with the 4 pointer. Midleton were in third position before the game. The visitors lost by 8 points and received no points as a result, Tullamore in turn leap frogged the Cork men and now rest in 3rd place. The firsts will now travel to Omagh this Saturday in what will be a mouth watering clash. 

1. Cathal Behan, 2. Mark Kennedy, 3. Matt Murphy, 4. Alex Bercovici, 5 Gavin Kelly, 6. Scott Milne, 7. Leon Fox, 8. Barry Bracken (C), 9. Conor Dunne, 10. Sam Burns, 11. Sean McCabe, 12. Lance Batten, 13. Eoin Farrell, 14. Liam Farrell, 15. Karl Dunne