Sat 14 Oct 2017

GOREY J1s WIN AWAY IN MONKSTOWN

Gorey J1s travelled to Monkstown RFC on Saturday last in what was a very important game for both.  Monkstown had lost their opening three games, with Gorey winning their away fixture to Boyne and losing their next two home games.

On a cracking day for rugby the game started at a fast pace with the visitors shading the opening exchanges. Gorey could have opened the scoring on one or two occasions but in the thirteenth minute they were finally rewarded when the referee awarded a penalty try after Monkstown infringed as Gorey went for a pushover try.

For the next fifteen minutes the visitors kept up the pressure with Conor Butler and Steven Duke directing the game. But on the twenty-eight minute Monkstown worked their way up the pitch to score under the posts to bring the sides level.

Both sides had a yellow card each in the closing minutes of the half, but Monkstown went into the lead with a penalty to leave the score at 10 - 7 at halftime.

The second half saw Gorey, as they did in the opening half, putting pressure on Monstown. A David Shannon penalty drew the sides level. Gorey were now beginning to put some good phases together and when Steven Gardiner went on a rampaging run that saw him stopped just short it looked as if Gorey were finally starting to play the rugby they are capable of.

They spurned two chances to extend their lead with two adjudged forward passes denying them a score. A red card for Gorey’s Steven Gardiner looked ominous but somehow the visitors kept the pressure up and extended their lead with twenty minutes to go with a Steven Duke penalty.

Monkstown rallied as they saw the game slipping away and put some good phases together. But when things are not going your way the harder you try it just was not happening for them as the Gorey defence stood firm. Gorey just about weathered the storm and as the game moved into the final ten minutes they put two scores between the sides after David Shannon ran from the halfway line to put Garett Bater in for a try to take the score to 18 - 10.

The last few minutes was hectic as Monkstown threw caution to the wind, but Gorey held out to secure a crucial win.

Eoin Walsh, Steven Duke and David Shannon were the pick of the backs but it was the pack that laid the foundation for this victory with Steven Gardiner, Eddie Horan and man of the match Killian Breen in great form.

Next week Gorey are at home to league leaders De La Salle Palmerston who have got off to a great start to the season kick-off is at 3 PM

GOREY

1 D Gregan

2 P Horan

3 J Mulligan

4 D O Leary

5 S Gardiner

6 E Horan

7 K Breen

8 J Ahearne

9 C Butler

10 S Duke

11 G Bater

12 O Walsh

13 A Walshe

14 T New

15 D Shanahan

16 T Jameson

17 W Rothwell

18 B Horan

19 P O Connor

 20 B O Connor