Sport

Horgan lights up the festive season

In different surroundings, it might have been the stuff dreams were made of

Mon Dec 18 2000 - 00:00

In different surroundings, it might have been the stuff dreams were made of. A try to brighten up the Christmas season came from Anthony Horgan midway through the first half and helped propel Cork Constitution to what was eventually an easy AIB league victory at Temple Hill.

One feels sure that Horgan would like to have reserved such a moment for a representative game, whether it be for Munster, Ireland A or indeed the full national team.

Horgan, standing static with the ball inside his own 10-metre line, needed no one to tell him what to do. He took off through a group of three players and cut out on a diagonal run. His pace left everyone in his wake before he crashed over near the right-hand corner for a try which Brian O'Meara converted.

Having scored an earlier try from Craig Taylor, a conversion and two penalties from O'Meara to a penalty by Eamon Molloy, Constitution were 20-3 ahead.

READ MORE

Buccaneers, however, dominated the second quarter and Molloy kicked another penalty before half-time. But an early scoring surge in the second period put Buccaneers to the sword.

Taylor got in for his second try two minutes after the resumption, which O'Meara converted. And midway through the period, O'Meara slipped in for Constitution's fourth try which he also converted. Buccaneers had scant consolation with a late try from Colm Rigney.

Constitution coach Brian Hickey was happy with the outcome, but reserved judgment in advance of some sterner tests to come. "I was happy to get four tries and the bonus point, but not too pleased with the way we sat back in the second and fourth quarters. I could have done without such lapses in concentration."

Cork Constitution: B Walsh; D Dillon, R O'Donovan, J Kelly, A Horgan; C Mahony, B O'Meara; I Murray, F Sheehan, J O`Driscoll, D O'Callaghan, M O'Driscoll, C Taylor, J Murray, U O'Callaghan (capt). Replacements: A Sherrard for Dillon (28 mins); H Hegarty for J Murray (63); R McGrath for I Murray, F McCormack for M O'Driscoll (both 73); D Murray for Shehan (77); A O'Sullivan for O'Meara (79).

Buccaneers: R Lee; M Devine, E Molloy, P Whittaker, M Walker; K Bates, C Keane; J Screene, J McVeigh (capt), M Cahill, C Brownlie, K Barrett, I Dillon, C Rigney, O Brennan. Replacements: S Lucas for Molloy (46 mins); A Hanley for Brennan, T Robinson for Keane (both 60); T Duignan for Screene (65); P Flanagan for McVeigh (75).

Referee: T Redmond (Leinster).