Swords 5-37 Clane: Another bonus point win for Clane
Clane recorded their fourth win of the season after an excellent performance away at Swords, securing their second bonus point in as many weeks. They let loose in a dynamic attacking display to bring 2019 to a close in style, running out 37-5 victors.
Ronan Connolly set the tone for the game, breaking through Swords’ defensive line with ease in the opening minutes. He had a lot of work to do to reach the line from the 22, but managed to reach the line and score under the posts. Brian Corbett added the extras, and Clane were 7-0 up. It didn’t take long for the other Connolly to get in on the act, with Barry crashing over in the corner after superb team play from the visitors. Offload passes from the forwards stretched the defence initially, before the ball was spread wide quickly. The pressure eventually told, allowing us to score in the corner.
Clane continued to dominate, thanks in part to Rob Hyland’s kicking, which kept the hosts pinned in their own half. After one kick in particular, a great chase from Hyland and Luke Gannon stopped Swords on their own 5 metre line, with Clane winning a penalty after great work on the ground. It didn’t take much longer for them to add to their scoreline, passing the ball quickly wide again. Corbett was caught on the wing, but managed to get the ball away to Cillian Quirke, who ran a great line to score his second try in two games.
The pressure continued, but it wasn’t until the end of the half that Clane managed to score their fourth try. Swords cleared from a penalty on their 5, but failed to reach touch. Some great running down their left hand side left them scrambling, and crash ball up the middle sucked in their defence. Barry Connolly was involved again, providing the final pass inside to Gannon who secured our bonus point. We went into half time with a 22-0 lead.
Clane entered the second half determined to put the game to bed and continue their excellent attacking play. They scored early again, this time via Enda O’Connell. He spotted a mismatch in the hosts’ defence and accelerated through, touching down close to the posts. It wasn’t too much longer before Shane Redmond got in on the act on his first start of the season. Garry Doran, on as a substitute, showed great pace down the wing to cause panic in the Swords’ defence. The ball then slowed slightly, but Ronan Connolly showed great hands to get the ball to Redmond, giving Clane a 32-0 lead.
The clean sheet wouldn’t last much longer however, as some quick thinking and excellent pace from Swords after a tap-and-go led to them sneaking over in the corner. Doran wasn’t having any of it though, and scored his first ever try for the club a few minutes later. A strong scrum from the pack allowed Scott Sterling to get the ball wide, and Doran managed to get himself over the line and finish the scoring for the day.
Clane ran out 37-5 winners in the end, recording their biggest win of the season so far. With seven tries scored from seven different players, it was an ideal attacking performance, showing the strength in depth of the squad and variety of threats. After a bonus point win last week, keeping momentum was key and the team certainly delivered. Special congratulations to Garry Doran for his first try, and to Owen Daly on his long awaited comeback!
Clane have now recorded 4 wins and 4 losses so far this season, and with six games remaining in the season, it’s all to play for near the top. The league now breaks up for Christmas, with our next game being a crucial away day at Ardee. All match photos from this game will be on the club Facebook!