St Mary's make hard work of it

HOW deeply disconcerting St Mary's can be. They manoeuvre a team into submission, let them off the hook and then almost finish them off before allowing them back in with a winning opportunity.

The Donnybrook surface suited the runners and the game offered up seven tries, three of them, thanks to Old Wesley's Rory Maloney and St Mary's John McWeeney, were outstanding.

But it was the St Mary's back row that coach Ciaran Fitzgerald singled out for particular praise after the match. "I was very impressed with the back row especially Victor. But Wesley were the hungrier team in the second half and we were content to let them run at us.

"We had the points on the board so we defended our lead and shut up shop. It's dangerous to do that against a team with it's back to the wall in relegation zone.

St Mary's first try arrived when a quick tap penalty by scrum half Conor McGuiness right in front of the Wesley goal sent McWeeney on a run. When he was grounded near the line Gareth Gannon was there to pick up and go over unopposed. Along with Conor Fitzpatrick's two penalties, the visitors found themselves 0-11 up and not a care in the world.

Then up popped Maloney. David Bursay made the initial bullish drive giving Hawe the opportunity of a skip pass to the wing where Maloney galloped in.

Inspired by that score, Maloney continued in the same vein seven minutes later. Carving through the heart of the scattered Wesley defence the centre travelled a full 40 yards and finished with a neat side step before pulling up in agony clasping his hamstring. A brave hobbling drive over the final two yards earned him the try before he was finally helped off the pitch with Wesley 14-11 ahead.

It was then McWeeney's turn to show his turn of pace as Wesley's defence, which regularly opened invitingly whenever St Marys moved the ball quickly, again failed to close down the space.

Kevin Nowlan sent him chasing down the right before McWeeney, against the odds, chased down a speculative grubber kick, again from Nolan, to swing the game again.

At half-time, and the score at 14-23, it was critical that Wesley score first to gain a foothold. Hawe was used to kick to the corners and he did so with accuracy. But from there Wesley simply did not have the pack or the inventiveness to pierce the St Mary's line.

Instead winger David Lyons received the ball on the left from a scrum five yards out. Again there was a sizable hole and on the 49th minute that's where he ran, extending St Mary's lead to 14-28.

It was the visitor's fourth try and it signalled the end of Old Wesley's doomed comeback. Their subsequent furious finish, however, was more the corpse twitching than the bristling energy of a side who could sense victory.

Hawe kicked a penalty and then converted when Shane Gill drove over before the referee finally blew, ensuring St Mary's league table position a point behind leaders Shannon.

Old Wesley must now meet Lansdowne, Garryowen and Young Munster away with Ballymena at home in their final four games.