Boyne 31
Arklow 31
Last Sunday morning Arklow
traveled up the road to Drogheda to play a Leinster quarter-final. The last
time this Arklow side were up here the game definitely didn’t go their way as
they were on the back of a 50 point defeat. Sunday was a completely different
story altogether.
Boyne playing at home started
the game well getting their hands on the ball very early. They spread the ball
along the back which eventually led to a try in the corner. Giving them an
early 5 point lead. This try kicked Arklow into gear and in nearly the
resulting play they managed to get the ball back. After a sustained period of
pressure from the away team managed to get the leveling try through Luke Doyle
which was converted by Conn Kinsella. Arklow playing with a strong breeze piled
the pressure on pinning Boyne back in their own half. Try as they might they
couldn’t get a 2nd try. In the
final play of the half managed to break through the Arklow defense and get the
ball down over the line which was converted giving the home side a 5 point lead
at the break 12-7
Boyne started off the 2nd
half in flying form getting two very fast tries in the opening minutes of the game.
Giving the home side a 24-7 lead at the beginning of the half. From the resulting
dropkick, Arklow managed to gain a foothold in the Boyne half again. The Arklow
pressure paid off when center Dean Kelly Farrell managed to drive his way over
the Boyne line for a try. From the resulting restart, Kelly Farrell managed to get
his hands on the ball deep in his 22. He ran back at the Boyne defense and after
breaking through numerous tackles offloaded the ball to his center partner
Oisin Beirne who managed to get across the Boyne line with defenders chasing
him. The try was again converted by Kinsella.With 13 minutes to go Arklow
piled on the pressure to level the game. After some great work from The Arklow forward
back the aforementioned Farrell broke through a crumbling Boyne defense to cross
the whitewash again. Kinsella added the resulting two points to level the game
with 10 minutes to go. Boyne managed to get the ball again from the kick-off
and after some strong defense from Arklow. Boyne managed to Burrow there way
over the line and convert the try to give the home side a 7 point advantage
going into the final minutes of play. In
the final minutes of the game, Arklow managed to get their hands on the ball
again in the middle of the pitch. Kelly Farrell went on a mesmerizing run
leaving Boyne defenders in his wake. As he got to the line Boyne thought they
had held him up. He cleverly managed to turn his body to dot the ball over the whitewash;
Kinsella added the extra two to draw the game again.
The game ended level but due
to Leinster regulations, the scorers of the first try wins the game. Boyne went
through on a technicality
