Connemara travel to Magherafelt this Saturday, 10th November ’07 to play Rainey Old Boys RFC in our third AIL  fixture of the ’07 – ’08 season. Team list is as follows:

15. Alan King
14. Patrick Flanagan
13. Michael Aspell
12. Bernard Keaney
11. Mark Joyce
10. Paddy O’Toole
9. David Keogh
1. Kevin Ward
2. Alan Pryce
3. Emmet Ferron
4. Kevin Keogh
5. Cormac Mc Donnell
6. Aden Kelly
7. Oliver Delapp
8. Gerard Burke (Captain)

Replacements:

Kevin Barry
Tomas King
Darragh Sweeney
Martin O’Malley
Eoin Bourke

There will be a fundraising quiz night in aid of the underage section of Connemara RFC taking place in E.J.Kings Bar, Clifden, on Thursday 22nd November 2007 starting at 9pm. Tables of four – €20. Spot Prizes & Raffle on the night. Please come along and show your support for our underage teams.

The club’s South African recruit, Bennie Bester had an operation yesterday on the severed tendon that he suffered a few weeks ago. The outcome is that he will be out of action for four and a half months plus two weeks additional rehab, so effectively he has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. This is extremely bad news for the club as Bennie had been settling into the team so well. We all extend our best wishes to Bennie for a full recovery and hope to see him again in Clifden in the not too distant future.

Connemara 3 – Loughrea 15      4-11-07

The Junior side were hosts to Loughrea on Sunday but went down with a scoreline of 15 3. Loughrea went in for a try after 12 minutes. Three minutes later Martin Mortimer, Glen Mullen, Robert Conneely and Martin Flaherty (Ted) made good head way and won a penalty which Vinny Heffernan just missed from the halfway line. Two minutes later Dermot Clancy made no mistake after Paul Keaney and Stephen Nee won a penalty thirty metres out. Our first chance of a try came four minutes later when a quick break by Eoin Bourke fed Tommy Burke who side stepped his man and passed to Enda Mulkerrins but his pass to Sean King was to low and the chance was missed. On 38 minutes we had a lineout ten meters from our own line which we lost and Loughrea got in for a second try which they converted to leave the halftime score 15 3. Two minutes into the second half a good break by Captain Noel Walsh and carried forward by Shane Austin brought play into the 22 and despite a lot of pressure Loughrea held firm and cleared their line. We made a few changes in the pack Kevin Mullen came on for Glen Mullen, Dara Sweeney came on for Stephen Nee and Jason Walsh came on for Martin Mortimer. The second half was end to end stuff and Darren Little looked dangerous on the wing every time he got the ball. Although both sides tried to cross the lines both defended well and there was no score in the second half. Jason Walsh came closest in the dying minutes when he was held up inches from the line. What nobody wants to see on any playing field happened with eight minutes to go when one of the Loughrea players had to be stretchered off with what looked like a broken leg. Thankfully the injury wasn’t a serious as feared and well done to the ambulance crew who responded within minutes and did a very professional job.

 Connemara 18 – Old Wesley 22

We started this game like the Sundays well game defending our line for the first eight minutes. Good tackling kept the line intact and after seven minutes we were penalised for offside resulting in Wesley going 3 up. Our first attack two minutes later yielded a penalty but Paddy O’Toole’s kick was just wide of the posts. The visitors made another break and a try saving tackle by Alan King kept the line intact.  We took control of the game after that and a cross field kick by Paddy O’Toole just bounced away from Ger Burke with the line at his mercy. On twenty minutes Kevin Ward made ground up the left and a good rucking by Kevin Keogh and Cormac McDonnell gave quick ball to the backs and David Keogh’s long pass sent Michael Aspell in for the first try. Paddy added the conversion. Four minutes later Aden Kelly linked well with Martin O’Malley who sent Peter O’Toole only to be caught three meters from the line. We kept driving at the line and an attempted drop goal went wide. On thirty five minutes Old Wesley had their centre sin binned for a dangerous tackle and this time Paddy’s kick was slightly short as the ball went under the crossbar. We kept up the pressure and were awarded two more penalties before halftime converting one to leave the half time score 10 3.

 The second started well for us and within three minutes we had a five meter lineout. We won quick ball and when Emmet Ferron got the five meters out there was no stopping him. From the restart Alan Pryce and Ollie DeLapp made their way into the 22 and we got another penalty which Paddy kicked to make it 15 3. Four minutes later Wesley got up to our line and Ger Burke was penalised and sin binned for offside even though the ball looked to be out of the ruck. Wesley took a five meter scrum and got in for a try which they converted. Five minutes later they got in for a second with a good backline move. We never recovered from those tries and with five minutes go Wesley got in for their third try which they converted to leave the final score 18 22. This was a very disappointing result for us because we were in control five minutes into the second half and leading 18 3 but seemed to take the foot of the pedal and let them back into the game.

Next week were travelling to Old Rainey and hopefully we can improve on the result side.

A big thank you to Mannions Bar for sponsoring the match and to Lighthouse Networks the Match Ball sponsors.   

15. Alan King
14. Peter O’Toole
13. Michael Aspell
12. David Keogh
11. Mark Joyce
10. Paddy O’Toole
9. Martin O’Malley
1. Kevin Ward
2. Alan Pryce
3. Emmet Ferron
4. Cormac Mc. Donnell
5. Kevin Keogh
6. Aden Kelly
7. Oliver Delapp
8. Gerard Burke (Captain)

Replacements:
Kevin Barry
Darragh Sweeney
Martin Flaherty
Martin Coyne
Eoin Bourke
Patrick Flanagan
Vincent Heffernan