Balbriggan 27 v Clontarf 0

The ladies got back on the winning trail today with a comprehensive win against Clontarf. Balbriggan played with a strong cross-field wind and after 13 mins were camped inside the Tarf 22. Some strong driving from Olivia Devon and Sandra McAleer set Balbriggan up 5 metres from the line and with the quick-thinking and vision of Davina Doran she picked from the base of the ruck and powered over the line for the 1st score. The Balbriggan Ladies continued to control the game and a big Man O War kick from inside Balbriggan’s 22 from Dearbhla, and Anne, Ciara and Val chasing like greyhounds put Tarf under immense pressure. A scrum was awarded and Rachel Mulligan picked up following the initial drive from Sandra and Lynn Malone to touch down. From a kick off Dearbhla Sheridan showed why she is so highly rated with a wonderful break which ended with her touching down in the right hand corner. Half time saw Balbriggan 15 v 0 up. Second half was a game with a similar pattern and saw some wonderful forward play, and quality driving set Balbriggan up for the backs to exploit the Tarf weaknesses and the ladies duly obliged with tries from Ciara and Sandra which got Balbriggan their bonus point and rounded off a wonderful display. To mention names would be unfair so only name to mention is all of the Balbriggan ladies team today. All played their part in a resounding win…Roll on Stones next Sunday👍👍

Balbriggan 27 Birr 8

Balbriggan continued their Div 2B campaign with a win over Birr on a very windy Sunday in Balrothery. Picking up the bonus points may be very important by the end of the season and a bonus point means they are only two points behind the only unbeaten team Roscrea.
With the wind howling down the pitch Birr decided to play with it. The home team also had the difficulty of playing into a very low sun which had just decided to come out for a few minutes. Birr used the wind to keep Balbriggan pressed back in their own half but Balbriggan were up to it and were very good defensively. After 10 mins a silly penalty was given away and Birr took a 3-0 lead.
Balbriggan bounced straight back and managed to regain the ball and by keeping it to hand, made good ground. J Mullen was punching holes through the Birr defence and letting the pack set off again. Connor Burke was dominant in the line out and with good accurate throwing from Sean Malone Balbriggan were very good out of touch. A penalty saw Balbriggan 5 metres out and after a couple of recycles Sean Malone got over for the try. Balbriggan started to attack from the kick off with the same pattern of maul off load to the next pod and then the backs. With Mullen and Verdon making good ground Balbriggan were making good ground even against the wind. Birr defended well and were managing to thieve the ball and launch clearing kicks deep into the Balbriggan half. The pressure eventually began to tell and a clever kick ahead by Healy saw the Birr full back have to scamper to touch with Tommy O’Toole hard on his heels, unfortunately he tripped as he carried the ball to safety and suffered a nasty ankle injury which ended his interest in the game. From the ensuing line out Balbriggan mauled the ball forward. With Anto Whelan urging the maul forward Birr were caught napping when skipper Malone peeled off the back and went in to score.

The Malone brothers seemed to be in competition to see who can score the most, as minutes later younger brother Sean crossed for his second try. While playing at 6 Sean was popping up supporting players everywhere. Half time saw Balbriggan 15 – 3 up.

The expectation should have been that they would kick on from there with the wind at their backs. While they had plenty of possession this was not being converted into points. As the second half went on Birr came back into the game and started to spread the ball wide. The defence was up to it and Murphy and Mullen tackling close in with winger Staunton tackling hard on the wing. Eventually Balbriggan got the much needed bonus point when Skipper Malone crashed over for his second try. Leigh O’Toole continuing his come back made a great run to add the fifth try which Healy converted. Balbriggan lost J Mullen when he was injured making another trade mark tackle. Birr eventually got over for a try which was deserved for their perseverance. It is hard to see how Birr are bottom team in the league which perhaps shows how competitive it is.

Balbriggan played some of their best rugby of the season in the first half but the second half will leave coach Casey with some thinking to do. In the second half instead of moving ahead the team struggled to convert effort into points. The backs need the opportunity to be put through their paces if they want to win this league. Defensively the team are playing well and the pod system shows that there is good ability to attack however with the potential of such a potent backline there is a need to let it loose. Murphy at out half is a good distributor of a ball and Mullen and Verdon are becoming a good 12/13 combination and there is plenty of speed on the wing with Staunton and Healy. O’Toole at full back also adds a great attacking option but the ball came seldom to them and when it did they were too static. This potentially is the best backline Balbriggan has had in a long time and with Stu Mullen still to return and the likes of Andrew Miller on the bench there is plenty of options there.

In the pack the back row were everywhere. While the Malone brothers were scoring the tries it was the ongoing work of Connor Burke that gives him the man of the match award. Connor was 20 on Monday but shows a maturity of greater years. As mentioned earlier his line out work is immense but he is an out and out 7, snaffling the ball at every opportunity and when he gets the opportunity is a strong runner. He has shown his team mates how to carry strong into the tackle and stay on his feet until support arrives and then quickly gets to ground and make the ball available.

Away to Athy will be a big test next week and with every game a must win game they will be hoping that J Mullen is fit as it seems to be a ground he likes.

T O’Toole, D Healy (A Miller) , J Mullen, D Verdon, D Staunton, I Murphy, K Healy, L O’Toole (P Quinn), J Davis, C McDonnell, A Whelan, G Geraghty, S Malone, C Burke, C Malone

Balbriggan celebrated 90 years since the Club first affiliated to the IRFU with a Gala Ball in the Bracken Court last Friday. The founding members of the Club included McGowan’s, Cumisky’s and Gallen’s and it was great to see representatives of those families there on the night. There was one other connection with the past with Tommy McCormick whose father won a Provincial Cup medal with the club in 1928 and then went on to represent Ireland in 1930. Tommy brought his father’s International jersey and Cap for all to see.
The other guest of honour on the night was Brendan Griffin who restarted the Club as a youth Club in 1967.
The Hon Sec, Robert Cashell in his welcoming speech introduced the many Club legends who were in attendance on the night, Major Collins, Mal Malone, Des O’Connor and Paddy Joyce. He challenged the current crop of players as to who would be considered as legends when the centenary is held in 10 years time.
After a fine meal President Dave McFadden looked to the future and for the Club to continue to develop with an emphasis on family and community as we continue to develop in the future.
The guest speaker was the President of the IRFU, Martin O’Sullivan and he congratulated the Club on all that they had achieved and wished them well for the future. The President of the Leinster Branch also joined the celebrations later on having been at Leinster’s close victory over Ulster. Over 160 enjoyed a great night and the dancing carried on till late. Former coach and proprietor of John D’s,Tom Young and wife Elma were there on the night and were warmly welcomed by all.
Now just to wait for the centenary.

Balbriggan 24 v Wexford Wanderers 13

Balbriggan secured a bonus point victory at home on Sunday against Wexford Wanderers in Division 2B of the Leinster League. The final score in this entertaining game was 24 v 13. The match was played in near perfect conditions. Balbriggan played the first half with the benefit of the breeze and the sun, sitting low in the sky beaming into the players eyes.

The home team set the pace early and attacked Wexford at every opportunity through both forwards and backs. Early pressure led to a try for Balbriggan within 10 minutes of the kick-off through outhalf Ian Murphy. The try was converted by Kyle Healy and Balbriggan were up and running. The visitors were quickly back on the defensive from the restart with the Balbriggan pack applying pressure at scrum time and through their driving mauls off the lineout. Even so, Balbriggan had to work hard before getting their next score which came through second row Anthony Whelan. Whelan is enjoying a rich vein of form of late and he used his tremendous strength, with a little help from his fellow forwards to power over the Wexford line. Healy narrowly missed the conversion but Balbriggan were deservedly ahead 12 v 0. Wexford however did not roll over for the North County hosts and they did forage briefly for a spell inside the Balbriggan 22. Stout Balbriggan defence, led by man of the match Jay Mullen in centre held Wexford out. Balbriggan turned ball over at a crucial point in this spell of Wexford pressure and worked their way back down field. On 30 minutes, Balbriggan struck again with a third try, this time through outstanding wing forward Connor Burke. A break orchestrated by Ciaran Malone, and fast action by Balbriggan backs, helped put Burke in for a fine try in the left corner. The conversion was missed but Balbriggan were ahead 17 v 0 after 30 minutes and were already looking for a bonus point. Wexford however held out for the remainder of the half which was a great credit to their defensive work and their ‘never say die’ attitude.

These two teams played each other three times last season and Balbriggan found their visitors a very hard team to shake off. This match was to prove little different. Balbriggan started the second half as they finished the first, on the attack. However, though they came close in the first 10 minutes of the restart to scoring a bonus point try, Wexford held out and they gradually began to exert some pressure of their own. This pressure eventually paid off with a penalty after 15 minutes leaving the score 17 v 3. Wexford felt they might yet be in with a shout in this match. They made some changes, some forced through injury and began to build pressure on Balbriggan. The pressure paid off when, after a series of scrums, driving rolling mauls and elaborate back moves, Wexford eventually scored a try to the right of the Balbriggan uprights. The conversion was missed leaving the score at an uncomfortable (for Balbriggan) 17 v 8. There were still 15 minutes left to play. Balbriggan needed to up their efforts if they were to ensure victory and deny their visitors something from this match. The home team raised their game and their backs, especially Jay Mullen, but also Ian Murphy, Ciaran Verdon and substitute Con Casey led numerous charges into Wexford territory. One of these surging moves resulted in Anto Whelan scoring his second, and Balbriggan’s fourth try of the day. Whelan, again using his immense strength as well as some guile, forced his way through a number of defending Wexford players and placed the ball at the base of the upright. The conversion was added and Balbriggan were 16 points clear, with what they believed to be less than 10 minutes to play. Wexford however refused to lie down. back they came and, deep into injury time, they scored a try which they failed to convert. 24 v 13. Incredibly, there was still time left to play and Wexford came looking for a losing bonus point. Balbriggan held out however and secured a well deserved victory. They currently sit in third placed in Division 2B after two rounds, two points off joint leaders Athy and Roscrea. Next match is Sunday 29th November at home to Birr. Before then, Balbriggan RFC will celebrate the Club’s 90th anniversary since it was founded in 1925 with a Gala Ball in the Bracken Court Hotel on Friday the 27th November. Today against Wexford the team were magnificent. A number of players stood out. Amongst the forwards, Anto Whelan, Connor Burke and Leigh O’Toole are deserving of mention. Amongst the backs, David Healy, Ciaran Verdon, Ian Murphy stood out. However, man of the match was Jay Mullen for his incredible tackle count in defence and his numerous bursts through midfield in attack.

Roscrea 15 v Balbriggan 10

Balbriggan’s IXV went down to their first defeat of the season losing narrowly away to Roscrea on Sunday, 15 v 10. This was the first match of Leinster League Div 2B proper after the initial pool stage of the competition. Roscrea had won all their matches in pool 1 whilst Balbriggan had won all their matches in pool 2. This was always going to be a momentous clash between the only unbeaten teams in Leinster League Div 2B and for much of the game, Balbriggan not only led, but were clearly on top. Playing against a gale force wind in the first half, Balbriggan had to withstand some early pressure, being pinned back inside their 10 metre line for the first 10 minutes or so. Stout defending by both forwards and backs kept Roscrea out and Balbriggan were able to slowly march Roscrea upfield. From early in the game, Balbriggan’s pack gained a dominance and this eventually led to a try through Captain Ciaran Malone. Although Roscrea managed a penalty in reply it was Balbriggan who ended the first half on the attack. Indeed, Balbriggan came within inches of second try late in the first half. Half time score 3 v 5.

Balbriggan had a strong wind behind them for the second half and looked forward to the possibility of pinning Roscrea back deep into their own half. However the second half started on a bizarre note. Roscrea relieved early pressure to move the ball upfield to just inside the Balbriggan 22. At this point it was noticed that Roscrea were playing with a full 15 players even though one of their number had been sent to the sin bin just on half time. The referee did a head count and realised the error. He sent the player back into the bin for the remainder of his 10 minutes but allowed play to continue with an attacking lineout. Balbriggan were able to turn the ball over and worked their way back down field towards the Roscrea line. Relentless Balbriggan pressure and some swift hands through forwards and backs led to Balbriggan scoring a well-worked try through winger David Healy in the corner. The conversion came off the post leaving the score 3 v 10. Balbriggan then spent 20 minutes camped inside the Roscrea 22. They had a series of scrums on the Roscrea 5 metre line and with a dominant scrum seemed ready to push the Tipp men over their own line. A score at this stage would surely have sealed the victory for the visitors. However, instead of keeping the ball tight through their dominant forwards, Balbriggan opted to move the ball through the backs. Twenty minutes of pressure came to nothing and Roscrea were able to relieve the pressure. With just under 15 minutes remaining Roscrea managed to score a try in the left corner against the run of play.To add insult to injury the Roscrea kicker landed the conversion from the touch line and against the gale force wind. This leveled matters at 10 v 10. From the restart Roscrea ran the ball back at Balbriggan and through a mix up in the Balbriggan defence the home side soon scored a second try in the same left corner. Balbriggan heads didn’t drop and the team put in a mighty effort for the remaining 10 minutes or so of the match. Tommy O’Toole came close in the left corner and the forwards were held up short in the right hand corner. Despite their best efforts it wasn’t to be. Balbriggan were deeply disappointed not to have won a famous victory away to a very strong Roscrea outfit but can be proud of a brilliant performance, especially through the mighty effort put in by the forwards. The front row of Loose head prop Paddy Joyce, hooker Jon Davis and tight head Alan McKiernan were imperious and were ably assisted by the efforts of locks Anto Whelan and Chris McDonnell. McDonnell later moved into the front row when McKiernan came off. Jay Mullen put in some mighty tackles in mid field, David and Kyle Healy and Con Casey were also impressive amongst the backs. In truth thought the entire team should be proud of a magnificent performance. Balbriggan are home next week against Wexford Wanderers.

Team: A Whelan, A McKiernan, C McDonnell, C Malone, C Casey, C Burke, D Healy, D Staunton, J Mullen, K Healy, P Joyce, S Malone, J Davis, T O’Toole, C Verdon, (subs) G O’Reilly, S Keegan, I Murphy, C Bateman, M Browne

Having topped the table in the pool stages of Div2b/3, Balbriggan’s IXV play away to Roscrea in the first game of LL Div 2b this Sunday Nov 15th. Balbriggan will play Roscrea away. KO 2.30pm

NUIM Barnhall 15 v Balbriggan 12

This Leinster League Div 3 Women’s rugby clash proved to be a very close encounter. Balbriggan defended very well with early pressure from Barnhall and managed to work their way up the field. Balbriggan were awarded a penalty from 10 metres out in the first 10 mins. Skipper Sandra took a quick tap but was unlucky to be held up. Both teams were deadlocked on nil v nil until 6 mins before the break when Barnhall scored an unconverted try. Balbriggan responded almost immediately with a try. This came from a quick ball from the back of the scrum from Rachel Mulligan to Dearbhla Sheridan. The out half managed to break through the Barnhall defense and off load to full back Kelly Morgan. The try was converted by Dearbhla Sheridan. Balbriggan went into halftime leading 5 v 7. Barnhall started the 2nd half strong and managed to score another try which again went unconverted. This put Barnhall back in the lead 10 v 7. Balbriggan piled on the pressure again. Strong running by the backs ended with another try by Kelly Morgan. This try went unconverted with Balbriggan edging ahead 10 v 12. Barnhall came back at Balbriggan and their No7 managed to get over the line to make it 15 v 12. That try went unconverted also. The game finished that way. Balbriggan were well deserving of the away bonus point and unlucky not to have taken the win. This was one of Balbriggan’s best performances so far this season. Special mention must go to winger Catherine Livesey who made a number of brilliant tackles in the game including a try saving effort late in the second half.

Midland Warriors 18 v Balbriggan 24

In balmy autumnal sunshine on Sunday last, Balbriggan RFC played their final pool game in the Leinster League Div 2B/3, before the League proper commences. Having already confirmed their position in Leinster League Div 2B the previous week, Balbriggan were looking to complete the pool stages with a clean sweep. They did this, to finish with five wins from five, but they had to work hard for their victory, holding out against a lively Midland Warriors team in Moate with ambitions of their own of finishing top of the pool. The final score was 18 v 24.

Balbriggan started the match at a hectic pace, putting the Warriors under the kosh from the off. Early pressure led to early penalties but Balbriggan were slow to turn pressure into points, missing a couple of chances at goal. However, hard work by the pack led to Balbriggan pushing the Warriors off their own scrum inside the Warriors’ 22. The pack turned the scrum into a rolling maul and drove the Warriors pack back over their own line. Captain Ciaran Malone came up from the bottom of the pile having secured the first score of the game. Kyle Healy added the conversion and Balbriggan were in the lead 0 v 7 after nearly 20 minutes of play. Balbriggan continued to apply the pressure and moved the ball through their backs in a number of sweeping moves. The constant pressure told when centre Jay Mullen ran in a fine try under the posts after breaking a number of tackles and jinking back infield, deceiving the Warriors defence. Healy again added the conversion and Balbriggan were up 0 v 14 with 30 minutes played. Balbriggan soon added to the score to stretch the lead to 0 v 21 after 35 minutes when a slick backline move led to an overlap on the right wing allowing Tommy O’Toole to score on his return from injury. Despite the conversion being far out on the wing, Healy found his mark and Balbriggan appeared to be on course for a bonus point victory. However, rather than add to their tally,Balbriggan conceded a soft try to their hosts deep into injury time in the first half when the warriors ran a number of penalties to eventually score to the right of the posts. They did not add the conversion but the half ended 5 v 21 to Balbriggan.

The try at the end of the first half clearly galvanised the Warriors who came out immediately on the attack at the start of the second half. The hosts scored their second try of the afternoon within 5 minutes of the restart and added the conversion making the score a barely believable 12 v 21 to the North Dublin visitors. From that point on the Warriors put Balbriggan under continual pressure which they sustained for much of the second half. Heroic try saving tackles were put in, time and again by Balbriggan as the warriors threatened to score on a number of occasions. Winger Dylan Staunton who played his best game of the season, was particularly outstanding putting in numerous tackles. Scrum half Con Casey led the defence turning over the ball at critical points in that difficult part of the game. He was ably assisted by the rest of the team who put in a tough shift in the very warm conditions. Even so, the Warriors inched closer and closer to Balbriggan. After spurning a number of kickable penalties, the Warriors eventually settled for kicks at goal to draw themselves closer to Balbriggan. They were awarded numerous penalties during this half and converted two of them between the 50th and 65th minutes of the match. They were now only three points behind Balbriggan (18 v 21) and clearly confident of bringing off an incredible come back. However, Balbriggan dug deep into their reserves and managed a rare spell of pressure inside the Warriors half with about 10 minutes remaining. This spell of pressure resulted in a Balbriggan penalty. Healy landed the difficult kick and Balbriggan were six points clear with eight minutes remaining. This was still not the end of the matter. Balbriggan had to withstand a late siege with the Warriors awarded a scrum, five metres from the Balbriggan line almost directly in front of the posts. Casey, quick as lightning all afternoon, managed to rip the ball from the hands of the Warriors scrum half and cleared the lines. Balbriggan held out for a hard earned victory. They will be meeting the Warriors twice more this season once Division 2B gets under way.

Balbriggan 52 v Garda 5

Balbriggan secured a well deserved and convincing victory in the Leinster League on Sunday, beating Garda RFC in Balbriggan 52 v 5. This is the fourth win on the trot for Balbriggan and confirms their place in Leinster League Div 2B with one match to spare in the pool stages of this competition.
Before the match started, both teams observed a minute’s silence in memory of the late Garda Tony Golden.
Though Balbriggan finished convincing winners in the match, they did not start off too brightly. Fresh from watching Ireland play Argentina in the Rugby World Cup, they made a slow start to this Sunday evening fixture. Garda, who had won their last two league matches, got off to a flyer and after working the ball through a number of phases scored a well worked try through their back within the first five minutes. Though the conversion was missed this was an ideal way to settle the visitors nerves and to put pressure on their hosts. Balbriggan took a while to settle themselves into the game, but they eventually struck back with a try of their own after 12 minutes in what was their first foray into Garda territory. Scrum half Kyle Healy converted his own try from left of the posts and Balbriggan were in the lead at 7 v 5. This sparked a very lively period of pressure from Balbriggan who strung attack after attack together mixing things up with slick interplay between forwards and backs. On 17 minutes Balbriggan were in for their second try. This came off a moment of brilliance by Kyle Healy. The scrum half chipped a kick forward from outside the Garda 10 metre line, followed up and gathered the ball and ran in for a lovely solo try which he again converted. Balbriggan were in the lead 14 v 5. If Balbriggan were beginning to think that they would have things all their own way they were soon reminded that they needed to be on their guard. Loose forward Connor Burke made an amazing try saving tackle just two minutes after Balbriggan’s second try. Garda had attacked from the restart and through a series of attacks had set their right winger clear only to be hauled to the ground five yards from the line by the brilliant Burke. This spurred Balbriggan back into action. They upped the ante again and attacking from deep within their own half of the field, they made headway into the Garda half. Their forwards moved the ball near to the left hand touch line, before the ball was swept across the pitch through the hands of forwards and backs. Giant second row Anthony Whelan, who had one of his best performances for Balbriggan and who is enjoying a rich vein of form, ran in to score Balbriggan’s third try on 25 minutes. This try, unconverted, was followed up soon after with the fourth try of the afternoon for the home side thereby securing the try bonus point. Balbriggan had turned the ball over and kicked it long, finding touch 7 metres from the Garda line. Sean Malone stole the Garda ball in the line out and burst through for a wonderful solo effort. Kyle Healy added the conversion from a difficult angle. Balbriggan were now 26 v 5 to the good and the steam was beginning to go out of the visitors efforts. Their day became all the more difficult when Balbriggan began one more sweeping move through their backs with just a couple of minutes of the first half left. Con Casey showed his class by finishing the move off with a fifth try for Balbriggan, his first of the afternoon. The conversion was missed but Balbriggan were 31 v 5 in the lead as the first half ended.
The first 15 – 20 minutes of the second half were largely uneventful. garda spent much of their time inside the Balbriggan half but could not make their pressure in this period count. Stout Balbriggan defending kept the visitors from adding to their first half try. Then 20 minutes into the second half, Balbriggan turned the ball over near their own 10 metre line. Anthony Whelan sold a dummy pass, lost the Garda defender, pinned his ears back and tore down field. About to be tackled he kicked the ball long and this loose ball was pounced on by Con Casey who ran in for his second try which was converted by Healy. There was a further period of relative stalemate in which both teams made a number of substitutions, some of which were forced through injury. With 35 minutes of the second half played, Balbriggan earned a penalty near the Garda 22. Kyle Healy ran the penalty, and his pop pass to captain Ciaran Malone resulted in Malone scoring beside the Garda posts. Healy converted the try that his quick actions had help to make. The days action was finished off by Con Casey securing his hat trick, a try that was also converted by Healy. Balbriggan scored 8 tries in total, six of which were converted. The 1st XV will have a week off before playing their last pool game away to Midland Warriors in Moate on Sunday 1st November.
Balbriggan’s 2nd XV also secured a victory in the McGee Cup on Friday night. They beat Virginia RFC 17 v 14. Our Ladies team weren’t so lucky this weekend, losing out to Gorey 7 v 17 on Sunday.

Team: C McDonnell, J Davis, A McKiernan, G Dennis, A Whelan, S Malone, C Burke, C Malone, K Healy, I Murphy, S Keegan, J Mullen, C Casey, D Staunton, P Mann. (Subs M Brennan, L O’Toole, C Bateman, S Keogh, D McGhee)

Balbriggan’s Tony and Jo Waldron were lucky enough to win a VIP trip to the Ireland v Italy game in the World Cup, through TV3’s The Sin Bin. Here are some photos of the lucky couple at Olympic Stadium.

Ardee 10 Balbriggan 24

In a match played at a frenetic pace for the whole 80 minutes the Balbriggan experience eventually told and they squeezed out winners of the game. Whether the players thought if they played faster they would get to the Ireland game quicker they certainly kept going for the match. It was Ardee who were forcing the pace for the whole game and certainly the Balbriggan lads might be looking at their fitness levels. Ardee were down a number of players who were away in Cardiff enjoying the atmosphere but the youngsters who took their place really put it up to the Balbriggan boys who were showing off their new Retro 90 strip for the first time.

From the kick off Balbriggan looked to attack but Ardee robbed the ball and moved into the Balbriggan half only for the ball to be turned over and Balbriggan attacked again. This was the way the game moved forward and back over the first quarter with neither side making much inroads into the opposition 22. Balbriggan seemed to have cracked the Ardee defence when Mullen broke clear only to be caught and give away a penalty for holding on. While Ardee got a good touch, Connor Burke got one of his many line out steals and from the maul Dave Healy relieved the pressure. Sean Malone carried up the line and a quick kick ahead had Dave Healy chase and it looked as if he would get over in the corner but the ref judged that he had knocked on as he pushed the ball onto the whitewash. Ardee attacked up the line , Balbriggan were adjudged to go offside. Ardee kicked ahead and Steve keegan failed to collect and despite a tacke by Marcel Brennan Ardee got in to score.

Balbriggan from the re start got into good territory and a clever kick ahead got to touch. A good steal by skipper Malone saw him held up short of the line but brother Sean was on hand to crash over. Kyle Healy added the points with the kick shaving the right side of the upright.

Ardee nearly got in for a second score when the ref got in the Malone brothers way as they tried to tackle. A saving kick out by Conor Casey kept Balbriggan ahead as half time approached.

The second half got off to a good start, when Balbriggan took a line out and drove over with Malone junior picking up his second try which Healy converted. Connor Burke who was having a fine game on the open side came off the side of a maul to add the next score. There was some good running from the Balbriggan backs with Ian Murphy coming on at out half when Dave Healy had to go off after making a saving tackle. Ciaran Malone made a great catch in his 22 and managed to call a mark as he made a spectacular diving Save as Ardee continued to attack. Ardee eventually got their reward when the flashed the ball across the line for the winger to just get in at the corner despite a despairing tackle from the Balbriggan skipper.

As the game wound down Graham Dennis had a line out steal and the Balbriggan maul was off again and man of the match Sean Malone completed his hat trick.

A win, but a great performance from Ardee will give Balbriggan something to think about. Too many passes didn’t go to hand twice Kyle Healy should have put his outside backs away but once the pass was too hard and the next time too low. He was not the only back guilty of poor passes. In the pack Anto Whelan had another good game with good carries.

Next week Garda at home – with the Ireland match at 1pm the day and time have still to be confirmed.

M Brennan, S Keegan (D Staunton), J Mullen, K Verdon, D Healy, (I Murphy) K Healy, C Casey, A Whelan, J Davis, G O’Reilly (C McDonnell) G Dennis, M Geraghty, C Burke, S Malone, C Malone.