Another crunch match looms for Galwegians when they host UL Bohemians at Crowley Park (2.30pm ) in the final game of their season.
The Galway city side, having struggled all season, produced a big performance last week in Cork against UCC to grab a vital win that moved them off the bottom of the table. Thus a win for Galwegians will guarantee safety from relegation to division 2.
However Bruff are just two points behind, and they too are at home where they face league leaders Clontarf. In different circumstances it would be expected Clontarf would pull through handsomely, thus condemning Bruff to a relation play-off with the fifth-placed division 2 team, but much will depend on the Dubliners’ attitude. Unable to be knocked off the top of the table and already promoted, Clontarf have little to play for but pride. There is much more at stake for Bruff.
As a result Galwegians cannot depend on Clontarf to give them a helping hand, and Galwegians’ fate is very much in their own hands.
Last weekend’s 21-10 victory over UCC was their third on the trot, and it will have given them a huge boost and a timely reminder that if they play to potential and with greater determination, they will survive this contest.
Although they struggled to gain a foothold in the game against UCC, they finished the stronger, despite the students taking a 10-0 early in the game. However Wegians finally found their feet through a hard-working forward effort, and with their first attack into their opponents’ 22, captain John Cleary crossed for a try under the posts, which outhalf Tadhg Leader converted, closing the gap to 10-7 at the break.
Although both sides missed kickable penalties, Galwegians took control. Their strong scrum paved the way for hooker Dermot Murphy, playing at No 8, to pick and go for Galwegians’ second try. Leader’s conversion stretched the margin to 14-10.
If that was the game’s turning point, then Wegians struck again in the 52nd minute when Irish club international Cleary intercepted and raced home to score his second for a 21-10 lead. UCC threw everything at the Blues, but a disciplined defence kept them out.
Galwegians: L Bibo; D Fanning, T O'Halloran, B Murphy, J Cleary (capt ); T Leader, B Lee, J Naughton, C Muldoon, J Stephens, D Nolan, B McClearn, L Scahill, I Muldoon, D Murphy. Replacements: D O'Hara, J East, J Perrott, G O'Brien, R Dillon.
