Dundalk RFC’s league title hopes suffered a blow on Saturday when they lost out 19-10 to Wanderers in a top-of-the-table clash at Lansdowne Road.
The Mill Road men went into the game just two points behind the Dublin side, who were the only other team in Division 1A with a 100% record.
However, despite getting off to a good start with a penalty from Ultan Murphy, the home side hit back with two converted tries after sustained periods of pressure to lead by 14-3 at the break.
Playing against a stiff breeze in the second half, Dundalk’s hopes of a turnaround were essentially ended by a third try shortly after the restart that left it 19-3.
However, as Wanderers went in search of a bonus point it was the visitors who finished strongly with Jonathan Williams getting over for a try, which Murphy converted, to leave it 19-10 with 15 minutes to go.
Dundalk put serious pressure on their opponents in the closing stages but Isaia Petelo was deemed to have been held up short before scrum-half Thomas Campbell was judged to have lost the ball forward after appearing to get over as Wanderers clung on for the victory.
There was better news for the club’s seconds, however, as they ran out 29-20 winners with two tries from Donal Clare, one apiece from Stephen Soraghan and Laurence Steen and a couple of conversions from James Shields and one from Robert Williams, who also completed the scoring with a late penalty.
Dundalk will face Tullow at home next Saturday.
Dundalk 1sts: Murphy, McNally, Petelo, McKevitt, O’Hagan, J Williams, Campbell, Fa’atau, Hadden, McConnon, Bentley, O’Hanlon, Farrell, Gray, Brannigan. Subs: C Williams, McGuinness, Steen, Murphy, Shields.
Dundalk 2nds: J Shields, R Shields, R Williams, Lenehan, Olaoye, Clare, Byrne, Lauaki, Arrowsmith, Laide, Sloane, Martin, Brady, Steen. Subs: Duffy, Soraghan, Crawley, McGuinness.
Dundalk’s Leinster League Division 1A hopes suffered a huge blow yesterday after they went down to Newbridge on a 16-10 scoreline.
Talk of the Town 