Having created an expectancy with their 100 per cent record in the AIB League this season, Galwegians duly obliged the 1,500 attracted to Crowley Park on Saturday.
That they did so without playing at their best did not matter. Four tries, including a hat-trick from fullback Willie Ruane, and a bonus point were sufficient to close the gap on Cork Constitution to a single point. Yet coach John Kingston was not entirely pleased with the way in which they disposed of a Clontarf side whose poor away form continued on Saturday.
"This was not a Rolls Royce performance. I was disappointed that having got the bonus point the players relaxed. We pride ourselves on our defence and for 70 minutes it was great. But in the last 10 minutes it was lethargic."
However, conceding a 75th minute try to Clontarf prop Peter McQuillan did little to change the outcome. Galwegians' superiority was apparent from the first scrum and although Clontarf's initial burst secured a penalty after four minutes, which outhalf Richie Murphy converted, Galwegians began to pile on the points.
It took two Eric Elwood penalties in the first 10 minutes before Galwegians scored the first of their four tries. The platform came from their surging forwards and Ruane finished off the expansive move after 22 minutes. Nine minutes later the westerners took full advantage of Clontarf's reeling scrum and centre Tim Allnutt found the gap, racing in from halfway. Clontarf's only response were two Murphy penalties either side of the break to close the gap to 20-9.
Galwegians settled down to securing the bonus point with some territorial-winning drives and when No 8 Michael Swift and Eric Elwood punched holes in the Clontarf cover to bring play within metres of the line, Ruane burst through for a 47th minute try. Elwood, with a 100 per cent kicking record, added the conversion to stretch the lead to 27-9.
Galwegians took some time to secure their fourth try, committing several unforced handling errors with the line at their mercy. However, Ruane made it a hat-trick of tries, with scrumhalf Shelbourne providing the pass after 67 minutes, to end the game as a contest.
Scoring sequence: 4 minutes: Murphy penalty, 0-3; 8 minutes: Elwood penalty, 3-3; 10 minutes: Elwood penalty, 6-3; 22 minutes: Ruane try, Elwood conversion, 13-3; 31 minutes: Allnutt try, Elwood conversion, 20-3; 40 minutes: Murphy penalty, 20-6; 42 minutes: Murphy penalty, 20-9; 47 minutes:[BO Ruane try, Elwood conversion, 27-9; 67 minutes: Ruane try, Elwood conversion, 34-9; 74 minutes: Peter McQuillan try, 3414. Full-time: 34-14
GALWEGIANS: W Ruane; G Brady, G Duffy, T Allnutt, D Rumney; E Elwood, B Shelbourne; D McFarland, P Cleary, P Bracken, D Browne, M McConnell, B Gavin, J Barfoot, M Swift. Replacements: P Duignan for Rumney (60m), J Casserly for Swift (70m), M Murphy for Ruane (72), K Tierney for Cleary (75), J Fahey for McFarland (75), J Heaslip for Shelbourne (78).
CLONTARF: K Nowlan; A Reddan, D Rossi, D O'Brien, O Winchester; R Murphy, R O'Reilly; A Clarke, T Kearns, P McQuillan, D Sheahan, B Gissing, D Quinn, B Baggott, S McEntee. Replacements: B Davitt for Clarke (57), D Moore for McEntee (63), J Downey for Murphy (68), D O'Shea for Nowlan (68), G Kavanagh for O'Reilly (72), G Flynn for Quinn (75).
Referee: A Lewis.
