Corinthians put on a fine winning performance against Malone in Cloonacauneen Park on Saturday afternoon. Smarting from a poor performance against Ballymena the previous Saturday they looked lackluster enough in the first quarter against another Northern side. From the off the visitors had the home side on the back foot after outhalf John Creighton kicked an excellent ball into the home side corner. But Corinthians scrum half Mickey Murphy was wide awake to the danger as he cleared his line. Malone kept up the pressure and Corinthians veteran hooker Joey Merrigan was eventually yellow carded by IRFU referee Ken Imbush for popping up in a forward position. Outside center Josh Pentland had no problem in converting same.
The Northern side had their tales up as the Cloonacauneen outfit were again pulled for loitering in an offside position. Pentland had no problem extending the lead to six points. The home side had no answer to the rampant visitors as their right winger Michael Barker rambled in for an excellent touchdown to stretch their lead in the twentieth minute. The Malone outhalf was so excited with their lead that he made a botch of the convert from an easy angle. Some minutes later, as the home pack drove forward, a quick break by Murphy linked up with flanker James Connolly, who skated for an excellent touchdown. Corinthians’ outhalf Miah Nikora added the extras.
The Tuam Road outfit upped their game again and within five minutes they got in for their second touch down. Murphy made a fine break to get the oval ball out to right winger Darin Classen as he linked up with captain James Buckley. The center side stepped his opposite to touchdown out wide. Nikora added the extras.
From the resulting kick-off Malone were again caught flatfooted as flanker Donnchadh Phelan gathers going forward and links up with first center Charlie Ryan. The center then finds Classen, the winger then releases to the captain for his second touchdown in the corner. Nikora was wide with the difficult convert. Just before the break Pentland slotted another penalty for the visitors leaving the northerners trailing by nineteen to fourteen points.
Immediately after the oranges Corinthians man of the match Eoghan Masterson made a excellent break from the half way line but was penalized by the referee for a double movement in grounding the oval ball. Ten minutes later the same player got his just deserts as his pack set up an maul and the number eight picked and broke through the northern’s cover to touchdown out wide. Nikora missed out on the convert. The home side scrum was dominant at this stage as props Finlay Bealham and sub Jamie Dever were very much to the fore. Dever claimed the fifth touchdown from a maul on the five meter line. The contest changed dramatically after this as the visitors lost their hooker and referee Ken Imbusch allowed uncontested scrums. This gave the Belfast outfit some impetus and were rewarded with a fine try by flanker John Burns which was converted by Pentland. They continued to put pressure on the home side as they were a man down. Pentland added a penalty at the death but it was the Cloonacauneen outfit who came out on top as the referee called time. The final score Corinthians 29 points — Malone 24points.
Corinthians next outing is away to Garryowen on Sat 27/09/14. Kick off 2.30pm. Venue Dooradoyle Pk.
Corinthian Team; D Classen. P Maher. J Buckley (capt). C Ryan. O Daly. M Nikora. M Murphy. M Byrne. J Merrigan. F Bealham. G Warde. C Rafferty. D Phelan. J Connolly. E Masterson. Replacements; A Bane. J Dever. A Broderick. C Evens. C Dillane.
