Galwegians concluded a memorable season when they confirmed their supremacy in Ulster Bank League division 2a by recording a 14th consecutive league win in emphatic fashion.
Having secured promotion to division 1B a month ago and the league title confirmed away to Bective three weeks ago, Cory Brown’s boyus produced a 50-3 eight-try blitz over visitors Rainey OB to crown a successful season.
With nothing at stake for both sides, a typical free-flowing end-of-season game ensued. The visitors gave as good as they got in the opening quarter, and the Blues were getting on the wrong side of referee Will O’Connor in the early penalty count.
Wegians got off the mark when their powerful pack shunted the visitors backwards from a five-metre scrum, with Eoin Rooney claiming the opening try. Two minutes later evergreen prop Ja Naughton finished off a great burst by towering lock Dave Nolan to barrel his way over under the posts. Ross Shaughnessy’s conversion made it 12-0 before the visitors opened their account with a Stuart Simpson penalty.
Before the break Wegians’ winger Jerome Harrimate gathered a loose ball, broke two tackles and raced home for an excellent individual try, his sixth of the season to make him joint top try-scorer. Shaughnessy added the touchline conversion for a 19-3 lead.
Although Wegians lost Shaughnessy to the sinbin, it mattered little to the home side when they grabbed their fourth try - their seventh try bonus point at home in eight league fixtures - when centre Rory Parata raced home unopposed, joining Harrimate and Caolin Blade as joint top try-scorer in division 2a.
Shaughnessy (2 ), Matt Dever, and Parata completed the rout in a fitting finale in a season in which they celebrated 50 years at Glenina.
Galwegians RFC: John Cleary; Colin Conroy, Rory Parata, Brian Murphy, Jerome Harrimate; Ross Shaughnessy, Caolin Blade; Ja Naughton, Conor Muldoon, Jason East; Dave Nolan, Brian McClearn (cpt ); Anthony Ryan, Eddie Earle, Eoin Rooney. Subs, Ross Fitzgerald, Doran McHugh, Jack Dinneen, Barry Lee, Matt Dever.
