Corinthians moved up two places and within six points of division 2 leaders Lansdowne with a fine win against Old Crescent in Cloonacauneen on Saturday.
Having been promoted from divison three last year, the Galway city side has made a great start to their All Ireland League season with three wins from their first four outings.
On Saturday they scored five tries, bagged a bonus point, and consigned Old Crescent to the bottom of the league table.
All their scores came in a wind-assisted second half after the visitors took a 15 - 0 lead through two tries and a penalty. However Corinthians, with the wind behind them, started slowly enough in the second half, until the game changed when referee Michael Tracy yellow carded Crescent’s most influencial player Mark Ryan.
During that period Corinthians ran in two scores - the first from scrumhalf Mick Roche, which was a solo effort after good work by the pack, and the second from centre Eoin Griffin after another great drive by the back row.
Outhalf Bayden Morey converted to reduce the arrears to 15 - 12. Corinthians continued to pile on the pressure and were rewarded when fullback Darren Classens scored in the corner. The bonus point arrived in the 75th minute when flanker Liam Carpenter touched down with help of Cassano va and Cunningham. Morey, who converted, added a penalty before Carpenter added a fifth try for a deserved third victory.
Corinthians: D Classens, S Mullaly, E Griffin,W Williams (C Begley ), F Gormley, B Morey, M Roche, D Buckley, D Barden, D Small, D Phelan, G Ward, P Cunningham(capt ), L Carpenter, A Casanova.
