Crescent face anxious time

High scoring Dungannon continued on their merry way at Rosbrien on Saturday when a combination of power, pace and class proved too much for a game Old Crescent side.

Dungannon, who had run up 62 points in the previous week against Terenure, this time totalled 34 including a bonus point. Crescent for their part also picked up a bonus point for finishing within seven points of their rivals but are now in even deeper relegation gloom.

It was easy to see why second-row Aidan Kearney was recently contracted by Ulster. He had a fine game as Paddy Johns's second-row partner while Tony McWhirter was as lively as ever.

Crescent inevitably struggled against a team containing so many contracted players and their cause was not helped when Des Clohessy was red carded midway through the second half.

Given that their last three matches are against leaders Cork Constitution, St Mary's College and Shannon, and they are now seven points behind Clontarf in third last spot, it will require a chain of shock results to keep Crescent in the first division.

Tyrone Howe's first try on nine minutes got Dungannon off to a bright start and although they trailed for a short spell 13-7 they regained the initiative with tries by Bryn Cunningham and Nigel Brady to lead 21-13 approaching the interval when Jay Cusack snatched a Crescent try to leave it 21-18 in the visitors favour.

David Humphreys, who had converted the three first half tries, landed a penalty on the resumption and when Howe went in for his second try in the 50th minute the issue was as good as decided.

Billy Treacy landed two penalties to cut Crescent's arrears to five points but then Ryan Constable went over for try number five for Dungannon and although a last minute dropped goal by Stephen Tuohy earned Crescent a bonus point, it may not make a whole lot of difference where avoiding the drop is concerned.

Scoring sequence: 9 mins: T Howe try, D Humphreys con, 7-0; 14 mins: W Treacy pen 7-3; 16 mins: Treacy pen 7-6; 21 mins: G Schoeman try, Treacy con, 7-13; 30 mins: B Cunningham try, Humphreys con 14-13; 34 mins: N Brady try, Humphreys con 21-13; 40 mins: J Cusack try 21-18 half time. 43 mins: Humphreys 24-18; 50 mins: Howe try 29-18; 60 mins: Treacy pen 29-21; 65 mins: Treacy pen 29-24; 74 mins: R Constable try 34-24; 80 mins: S Tuohy dropped goal 34-27.

DUNGANNON: B Cunningham; J Cunningham, R Constable, J Bell, T Howe; D Humphreys, S Bell; J Fitzpatrick, N Brady, G Leslie, P Johns, A Kearney, R Stafford, A Hughes, T McWhirter.

OLD CRESCENT: B Begley; S Madigan, W Munn, R Ellison, J Cusack; W Treacy, E Reddan; G Evans, M Hayes, D Clohessy, M Bird, B Toland, G Schoeman, P Glamuzina, A Herlihy. Replacement: S Tuohy for Begley half time.

Referee: T Redmond (Leinster).