Constitution in different class

The scoreline at Rosbrien on Saturday may have flattered the visitors, but it went some way to explaining the gulf in class between the top and bottom teams in the AIB League.

Billy Treacy kicked three penalties for Crescent against one by Ronan O'Gara to put them 9-3 ahead at the interval. It might have been more as a few of their attacks went unrewarded.

But a delightful run by Constitution full back Brian Walsh in the second minute of the second half led to a Donnacha O'Callaghan try. After O'Gara converted, there was only one possible result.

After O'Gara landed a penalty Crescent's chances were dealt a blow when second row Matt Bird was sin-binned. A Treacy penalty did narrow the gap to a single point, but a controversial try by Walsh - he had appeared to knock on - gave O'Gara the opportunity to make it 20-12.

With Constitution's Craig Taylor in the sin bin, Treacy knocked over a Crescent penalty to leave five points between them on 66 minutes. But the outstanding Mick O'Driscoll romped over for a try and shortly after he played a big part in the bonus point try scored by Derek Dillon before Conor Mahony added a fifth try.

SCORING SEQUENCE: 2 mins: W Treacy penalty, 0-3; 5: Treacy penalty, 0-6; 30: O'Gara penalty, 3-6; 34: Treacy penalty, 3-9; 42: D O'Callagha n try, O'Gara conversion, 10-9; 52: O'Gara penalty, 13-9; 62: B Walsh try, O'Gara conversion, 20-12; 66: Treacy penalty, 20-15; 67: M O'Driscoll try, O'Gara conversion, 27-15; 70: D. Dillon try, O'Gara conversion, 34-15; 74: Conor Mahony try, O'Gara conversion, 41-15; 76: Treacy try, 41-20.

CORK CONSTITUTION: B Walsh; J Kelly, C Mahony, R O'Donovan, D. Dillon; R O'Gara, B O'Meara; I Murray, F Sheahan, J O'Driscoll, K Murphy, M O'Driscoll, C Taylor, J Murray, D O'Callaghan. Replacements: T Kiernan for Kelly, temporary (60-63 mins); E Thorpe for O'Callaghan (72); J Fogarty for Murray (76); A O'Sullivan for O'Meara (78).

OLD CRESCENT: W Treacy; S Madigan, W Munn, R Ellison, J Cusack; S Tuohy, E Reddan; G Evans, M Hayes, J Cullinane, B Foland, M Bird, G Schoeman, P Glamuzina, D Bowles. Replacements: D O'Malley for Toland (63); A Herlihy for Schoeman (73).

Referee: A Lewis (Leinster).