Depleted Shannon are still strong enough

All-Ireland League Round-up: Shannon's 27-15 victory at IRFU headquarters on Saturday belies a Lansdowne team that are making serious progress up the AIB League pecking order. If not for Lansdowne's shaky opening to the season, this would surely have been a battle for top-four positioning.

A weakened Shannon, due to Munster call-ups, eventually opened them up with tries from David O'Donovan, Brian Tuohy and Irish under-21 hooker Seán Cronin, while an earlier Andrew Thompson drop-goal helped provide the important two-score lead the visitors established.

There were, however, glimpses of the standard Lansdowne's dual coaching ticket of Brian O'Meara and Liam Toland are aspiring towards.

Toland was absent from a backrow yesterday, where Jim O'Donovan excelled, but with O'Meara at outhalf they dominated the opening exchanges.

A try from O'Meara, whose provincial career is under threat due to the arrival next season of Australian international Chris Whitaker, converted by Corey Burt, made it 7-3 to Lansdowne at the interval.

Shannon's reply was emphatic but considering Lansdowne are 16 points adrift of a play-off spot, the high stakes associated with this stage of the season were absent.

Elsewhere, with Garryowen, Clontarf and Cork Constitution all winning, Belfast Harlequins fell off the pace after a dramatic 33-32 defeat to Buccaneers at Dubarry Park.

Fullback Tom Cregan was the hero for Buccaneers as he secured victory in the seventh minute of injury time by converting his own try.

Harlequins will have the opportunity to make up for their slip-up when they meet fourth-placed Cork Constitution in two weeks' time at the Grafton Arena.

The Cork club beat UCD 25-0 at Temple Hill on Saturday with all four tries coming in the final 25 minutes.

Garryowen remain in third place, although level on points with Clontarf, after a tense, hard-fought 10-3 victory over Blackrock at Stradbrook.

Next up is a mouth-watering clash with city neighbours Shannon in Dooradoyle, while Blackrock seek to end a five-game losing streak against bottom club Carlow.

Clontarf's seven-try haul against the winless midlanders leaves them ideally positioned in second place for a home semi-final with just four games remaining in the regular season.

The other fixtures yielded victories for Ulster teams as Ballymena blitzed St Mary's 40-7 at Eaton Park and Dungannon pipped Galwegians 29-27, a late try giving the Connacht men a bonus point, at Stevenson Park.

Yesterday UL Bohemians defeated Dublin University 29-17 in the weekend's final game.