Lyons strikes late to dash Creggs’ double hopes

Bank of Ireland Connacht Junior Cup Final Westport RFC 21 Creggs RFC 19

< DAN DOONER AT THE SPORTSGROUND

When they’re sitting down to discuss putting together a 50th anniversary celebration out in the village some time next year, the Creggs stalwarts will unfortunately look back on this year’s Connacht Junior Cup campaign as an opportunity missed.

With just two minutes remaining in normal time last Sunday, the electric Shane Purcell crashed over the whitewash to give Creggs a late lead and all but silence the vociferous Westport support.

Creggs were just over seven minutes away from their first Connacht Junior Cup win since 1993 and their first league and cup double since 1989. Those in maroon and white celebrated as Purcell rounded off a wonderful team try fit to win any game of rugby, harsh on Westport though that might have been.

Just eight minutes later, however, the Mayo contingent had found their voice once more. Westport won a lineout on the Creggs five-metre line and seven phases later Cormac Lyons touched down under the posts to bring the sides level. Sam Walsh’s tap-over conversion confirmed the worst for Creggs as the Bulls celebrated in the stand and all over the pitch.

Creggs head coach Tony Dolan was magnanimous despite the heartache at the full-time whistle.

“That was a smashing game of rugby and it was as tight as you’d get, as you’d expect in a final. I’m very proud of my lads and have the world of respect for Westport, they played really well, they played to their strengths, and they didn’t allow us play our game, and full credit to them for doing that,” he said. Dolan barely had time to draw breath but admitted there was some trepidation despite Purcell’s late try.

“I was nervous after that because we had to receive the kick-off and that’s always a dangerous time. If somebody just misses it or whatever. Westport came up very fast and shut us down on that. Brian (Donohoe) caught the kickoff cleanly, but the shut down from

Westport then made sure that we could move it,” he said.

As for the overall performance, Creggs’ usual running game was contained by the more powerful Westport outfit, led by the impressive Kevin Corcoran. “We like to move the ball, we like to spread it wide, but to do that you have the ball. For long spells there we didn’t have the ball, Westport retained the ball, minded it and we couldn’t get it back off them,” Dolan said.

“But cup finals are always going to be like that, tight close affairs. It’s very rare that a team scores a breakaway try to win a game, it’s usually the team that controls possession that wins the game, and Westport did that today”.

Westport were up for this one right from the start and used their size advantage to great effect early doors. The early pressure paid dividends when Stephen Loftus’ trickery and power saw him over for the opening try, Walsh adding the extras to leave the Connacht League champions behind after just seven minutes.

With little or no change from the Bulls’ defence in the opening quarter, Ronan Dowd chose to take the direct route, kicking deep into the Westport 22. Determined follow-up play from the Creggs pack led to a turnover and quick ball put Brian Donohoe under the posts. Shane Purcell converted to bring the sides level.

Creggs grew in confidence as the half went on and were rewarded for their attractive brand of rugby when a Ronan Dowd try gave them a 12-7 half-time lead.

Westport were however back on the front foot on the resumption and scored within minutes when their powerhouse Corcoran led a forward drive and Ross Burke bundled over. The conversion put the Bulls ahead by two and but for some dogged Creggs defence it could have been more.

As it was, Creggs found their feet and should have retaken the lead with twelve minutes remaining but Purcell’s penalty caught the breeze and drifted wide of the posts. Agony.

It was Purcell’s try that eventually did give the east Galway side that late advantage. The ball was worked from inside the Creggs 22 before Ronan Dowd put his number 10 in for a super try, which was converted by Purcell himself.

They thought it was all over in the village. But Westport ripped up the script with Lyons’ late try and a man dressed head to toe in a Bull costume led the

Westport celebrations. Heartbreak.

“It’s been a fantastic season. The first and second team both won trophies, it would have been nice to have a third one today but it was not to be,” said Tony Dolan at full-time.

“But it has been a great season and fair dues to the players who have made that happen. The turnout for training has always been excellent; we had 36 on Friday night which is massive, and I’m very proud of that”.

There’s plenty more to be proud of too when they do get around to celebrating 50 years of Creggs Rugby in the village next year.