Ulster Bank League: Division 1B Previews - Buccaneers vs Old Wesley
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BUCCANEERS 36 OLD WESLEY 14, Dubarry Park
Scorers: Buccaneers: Tries: Jordan Conroy 3, John Sutton, Callum Boland; Cons: Alan Gaughan 4; Pen: Alan Gaughan
Old Wesley: Tries: Darren Horan, Iain McGann; Cons: Tim Clifford 2
HT: Buccaneers 22 Old Wesley 7
Jordan Conroy helped himself to a hat-trick of tries as Buccaneers swept Old Wesley aside at a bitterly cold Dubarry Park to improve their standing at the top of Division 1B.
Despite a growing list of absentees, Buccs set the tempo from the start and utterly dominated the opening half although playing against the biting breeze.
With closest challengers UL Bohemian and Ballynahinch both suffering surprise defeats, the Pirates extended their lead at the top of the table to 11 points with just six matches remaining.
Apart from the cold wind, conditions were near perfect as the Athlone outfit took the game to their opponents from the kick-off and enjoyed such huge amounts of possession and territory that it was a surprise they took 16 minutes to open their account.
A terrific maul by the Pirates pack was finished off by hooker John Sutton with Alan Gaughan adding the conversion from the right. As the home pressure continued, Wesley's Iain McGann was sin-binned for deliberately knocking the ball on in front of his own posts and Gaughan added further punishment with the 21st-minute penalty kick.
Another penalty after 25 minutes was punted to touch on the left and, after good possession was claimed from the lineout, the Buccs pack drove forward impressively before electric winger Conroy was unleashed and he scooted in for a try near the uprights. Three minutes later, he was dotting down on the left for his second try after taking a pass from Shane Layden and chipping Rory Stynes while also not losing any momentum from the full-back's attempted block.
Buccaneers, however, were sloppy at the restart and - just like what happened against Galwegians last week - they let a ball bounce and Darren Horan swooped for an opportunist 30th-minute try which Tim Clifford converted.
In the final move of the first half, the midlanders put some splendid phases together only to knock on at the Old Wesley line but were good value for their 22-7 half-time advantage.
It took Brett Wilkinson's side less than two minutes following the change of ends to stretch their lead and secure the bonus point, with Callum Boland fastening onto Gaughan's deft grubber for their fourth try with the out-half tapping over the conversion.
Five minutes later, further enterprising play looked like being finished by Simon Meagher but the young lock was stopped just short. However, Buccs kept the move going and the ball was shifted smartly to the left where Conroy completed his hat-trick to make it 13 tries in all for the campaign. Gaughan added a terrific conversion to put the Shannonsiders 36-7 to the good.
With the outcome now not in any doubt, both sides utilised their benches and play became somewhat disjointed and scrappy. Old Wesley's Will Potterton saw yellow for coming in from the side.
Nevertheless, it was the Dubliners who scored while temporarily depleted with McGann diving over spectacularly for a 65th minute try converted by former Bucc Clifford. Surprisingly, this proved the final score of the contest with home replacement Ryan O'Meara being a late visitor to the sin-bin.
