Tullamore's senior rugby team reaches another Junior Cup final

Tullamore qualified for the third final in this competition with a deserved win over Mayo side Westport in very poor conditions last Saturday in Spollenstown. They will now play last year's beaten finalists Monivea on Saturday week in Dubarry Park, Athlone. Confidence and competence would best describe the Tullamore performance against a spirited and committed Westport side which fought hard for the entire match. The weather made it difficult for both teams to play any kind of expansive game but they did try their best to do so. Tullamore got off to a great start, attacking from the kick-off and scoring the first try within six minutes. Tullamore went through the phases and waited for a gap to appear which they exploited with Rory Deverell getting the touchdown. When Westport put through an intelligent kick a Tullamore defender was guilty of interfering with the chasing winger and the Westport out half kicked a good penalty. Westport handled in an offside position shortly afterwards and Aaron Deverell kicked the penalty. He kicked another penalty after half an hour to stretch the lead to eight points but the decisive score came five minutes before the break when following another storming break by Adrian Hanley the ball was let out along the line for David Milne to score a try. Hanley was a thorn in the Westport defensive line all day. With a 16-3 lead at half-time and having played against the wind, the home supporters were in confident mood. Westport gave it everything in a second half spoiled by heavy rain and more than deserved their late try. Near the end Adrian Hanley took a ball on the ten-metre line and raced deep into the 22 beating three men and drawing a further two before passing to Colin Hughes who scored a try. Westport still kept playing and scored a try through their hard working pack in injury time. The Westport support was huge and I cannot recall there ever being as many away supporters in Spollenstown for a match. Adrian Hanley was the man-of-the-match but the half backs Hughes and Deverell were brilliant in such bad conditions. Colin Draper, Rory Deverell, Tom Gilligan, David Clavin, Colin Hughes, Aaron Deverell (Capt), Richie Hughes, Tomas Bennet, Cian Glennon, Eddie Brady, Ivor Deverell, David Milne, Kevin Browne, Rob Connor, Adrian Hanley Replacements: Ger Molloy, Paul McNiff, Jason Clancy, Dave Hanlon, Ivor Scully, Odhran McIntyre, Brian Geraghty.