DLSP's centenary ends on a dull note

There is no light explanation for such an exhibition. Billed as DLSP's centenary match, and probably watched by the biggest crowd at Kilternan in that period, it came up scandalously short of entertainment and ended on a score-line which flatters both sides.

If Lansdowne were in any way convincing in their first outing against Shannon, there were quite the opposite here. Even with the majority of possession for the first quarter hour, they seemed happy, certainly more than once, to give it away like loose change. And to say that try scoring opportunities were few and far between is as generous as can one get.

DLSP, though, were no better. Rarely will they enjoy more spirited home support, but they displayed precious little imagination to either warm up the voices or satisfy the expectations.

A share of the points is not so much what they deserved as what they earned, and that they led by two penalties to one going into injury time is worth mentioning only in passing. Dave O'Riordan provided the two scores, as did Barry Everitt for Lansdowne, yet the highlights of this game will undoubtedly be remembered as the centenary celebrations in the bar afterwards rather than anything which happened out on the pitch.

After wrestling around for a long 40 minutes, it came as no surprise that it remained scoreless at half-time.

Everitt's attempt at a drop goal after 18 minutes was the first glimpse of a score for the visitors. Dropping wide and short, it characterised the standard of kicking for the afternoon.

DLSP remained severely under-ambitious themselves. With his first penalty attempt on 25 minutes O'Riordan really should have done better, and while they were allowed a decent spell in the last five minutes of the half, they still lacked any sort of invention to get through.

Instead, O'Riordan was handed another penalty which dropped just short of the opening score, and so ended the half.

After the break, determination was turned up slightly, but that resulted in little more than DLSP's Declan O'Brien and Lansdowne's Brian Cusack being ordered into the sin bin.

Everitt finally shot over a penalty on 49 minutes, thanks to some more committed running by Horgan, as Lansdowne appeared to show the greater hunger for the points. O'Riordan had another disastrous spot kick, and going into the final 10 minutes it seemed as if the one score would decide it.

Thankfully for all involved, DLSP rallied once more and O'Riordan made no mistake with his close-range penalty eight minutes from time. That was like a shot of adrenaline for the hosts, and a couple a minutes later, O'Riordan did even better to put them in front for the first time.

Deservedly, however, Horgan found time to make one more break and set up Everitt's late equaliser.

Scoring sequence: 49 mins: B Everitt pen 0-3; 72: D O'Riordan pen 3-3; 75: O'Riordan pen 6-3; 83: Everitt pen 6-6.

DLSP: S Stephens; D McCabe, N O'Riordan, M Cunningham, E Devitt; D O'Riordan, B Hogan; K Condron, S Cullen, N Condron, K Wheelock (capt), R Frost, T Giles, D Maher, D O'Brien.

Lansdowne: G D'Arcy; M Dillon, S Horgan, R Niland, A O'Neill; B Everitt, D O'Mahony (capt); R Corrigan, C Egan, A McKeen, B Cusack, G Fulcher, A McCullen, L Toland, C McEntee. Replacements: E Bohan for Corrigan (59 mins).

Referee: D Courtney (ARLB).