WITH six of the 13 games played, the grid lock at the top of the table shows no sign of easing - a mere two points separating six teams who all remain very much in contention. The fact that only one score separated the teams in all but one of Saturday's games, shows just how evenly matched the teams are.
Bective took advantage of slip ups by Clontarf and Skerries to move one point clear with a hard earned 16-12 victory over Greystones. Although penalties from Richard Murphy twice put the visitors ahead, Shane Buckley pegged them back with three penalties of his own to give his side a 9-6 lead at half time.
The second half followed the same pattern, with Murphy adding two further penalties for Greystones. Halfway through the third quarter however, Bective prop John Maher dived over from close range for the game's decisive score and Buckley converted.
Bective got the breaks. Not so Clontarf. They suffered defeat by just a point for the second time on Saturday when they lost out 12-11 to DLSP.
Just when they appeared to have clinched victory at Kilternan with a late drop goal from out half Mark Woods, up stepped his opposite number, Tommy James, to retrieve it for the home side with a drop goal of his own two minutes into injury time.
After James's second penalty, a Karl Hoffman try seemed to swing the match in Clontarf's favour. However, Selmo's lighter, but more mobile pack continued to force Clontarf back, and when James converted his third penalty to give his side a precarious 9-8 lead, the scene was set for the drop goal shoot out.
NIFC had to break their duck sometime, but that will be of little consolation to Skerries. A Michael Barnes penalty and a Johnny Park try gave North an 8-6 half time lead with Johnny Dempsey landing two penalties for Skerries. Barnes added two further penalties for North in the early stages of the second half and with Derek Wilson dropping a goal, North moved 17-6 in front. Despite a Clive Lawless try, NIFC held out.
City of Derry, on the other hand, just failed to make the breakthrough, although they came very close to overturning a 28-0 deficit against Wanderers at Judges's Road.
The visitors looked to have the match completely sown up when they romped through the first half with tries from Colin Leahy, Tom Maughan, Ronan Culliton and Owen Cobb. But second half tries from Noel Stewart, Sean O'Kane and Keith Gallick meant Wanderers had to fight for victory all the way, the Dublin side winning out 28-24.
Dolphin got a bad fright from UCC, but managed to escape from the Farm with a 20-19 win. Tries from Denis O'Dowd and Tim O'Connell helped the visitors to a 20-8 lead at half time and in the second half, Dolphin seemed content to rest on that lead.
However, when UCC winger Donal Keeshan dived over in the left corner for his second try two minutes into injury time, they must have had second thoughts. Fortunately for them, John O'Mahony was just off target with the conversion.
Sunday's Well got their challenge back on track when they came back from 22-10 down at half time to overcome Malone 40-36 at Musgrave Park. The visitors must have fancied their chances when Richard Mackey, Scott Carroll and Grey Howett all ran in for tries in the first half.
However, a hat trick of tries from Brian Roche and a penalty from Conor Burke, followed by an Eric Crotty drop goal saw Sunday's Well home.
Monkstown consolidated their mid table position with a 16-5 win over Highfield at Model Farm Road. A Hugh Maguire try and three penalties from Andrew McMaster put the visitors in control of the first half and the match as neither side managed to score in the second half.
. Irish international centre Rob Henderson marked his Wasps debut with his new club's sixth try as they predictably beat West Hartlepool to go back clear at the head of League One on Saturday.
Wasps emphatically cashed in their game in hand over Leicester. They had the job done by the hour as they went through 40 points, but finished disrupted as a series of injuries hit key players.
England scrum half Andy Gomarsall (bruised shoulder) and England A out half Alex King (bruised chest) were taken off but coach Rob Smith said: "They should both by alright to go to Dublin with England after treatment in the next few days."
