Celtic League Reports/Dragons 23 Connacht 0:Two sides of limited resources but honest endeavour can usually make for an uncompromising and entertaining clash. But on this occasion there was a little more huff and puff than substance. Connacht were poor and the Dragons marginally better, but the Welsh side deserved the points and with it the prize on offer - the Heineken European Cup play-off berth.
Nine points ahead of Connacht at the start of this penultimate Magners League fixture, the Dragons concluded a tough run of four matches in 10 days with the only win. But it was the crucial one and no doubt it was helped by the day's talks of a takeover bid from a local consortium promising a cash injection and a return to former days of glory.
Connacht, never having enjoyed that luxury, instead posted one of their worst results of the season and only their second in which they failed to score, having fallen to Munster by 13-0 in December.
And hopes of a first away win since the Borders were buried midway through the second half when the Dragons extended their 11-0 half-time lead, running in another two tries in the end.
Although Connacht started with purpose when Conor McPhillips almost broke through, they could not maintain that momentum, and it took 21 minutes before the stalemate was broken. The Dragons struck when outhalf Aled Thomas's penalty put them ahead. Two minutes later they stretched that lead when Colin Charvis bagged the first try. Hooker Steve Jones and Aled Brew had established field position just yards from the line and when Luke Charteris stole Andrew Farley's lineout, Charvis added his weight to the maul to charge over.
It did not get any better for the visitors when Thomas popped an inside pass to Richard Fussell, sped through the cover at speed. Although McPhillips nailed him just shy of the line, a supporting Gareth Maule finished off the move after 55 minutes.
Dragons added a third when Fussell finished in the right corner.
The only memorable feature for Connacht was Mark McHugh's 100th cap - the player named as a late starter in the line-up when John Hearty fell ill.
Scoring sequence: 21 mins: Thomas penalty 3-0; 23: Charvis try 8-0; 40: Thomas penalty 11-0. Half-time: 11-0; 55: Maule try, Thomas conversion 18-0; 75: Fussell try 23-0. Sinbinned: J Muldoon (63 minutes).
DRAGONS: K Morgan (capt); R Fussell, P Emerick, G Maule, A Brew; A Thomas, A Walker; A Black, S Jones, L Harrison; I Gough, L Charteris; J Bearman, C Charvis, M Owen. Replacements: P Dollman for Morgan (40 mins), G Wyatt for Brew (42 mins), B Daly for Jones, G Baber for Walker (both 69 mins), A Hall for Charvis (72 mins), D Lydiate for Charteris (77 mins).
CONNACHT: G Duffy; D Yapp, D Riordan, M McHugh, C McPhillips; P Warwick, C Keane; B Wilkinson, J Fogarty (capt), S Knoop; D Gannon, A Farley; J Muldoon, R Ofisa, C Rigney. Replacements: P Durkan for Warwick, R Loughney for Knoop (both 50 mins), A Flavin for Fogarty, T Robinson for McPhillips, and D Slemen for Yapp (all 59 mins), M Swift for Rigney, D McGowan for Farley (both 69 mins).
Referee: M Changleng (SRU).
