Rugby

Tullamore end season in impressive style with victory in Towns Cup final

Offaly side put Longford to the sword as they bid farewell to the junior ranks

Tullamore’s Richie Hughes is tackled by George McDermott and Barry Stewart of Longford during the Provincial Towns Cup final. Photograph: Sportsfile
Tullamore’s Richie Hughes is tackled by George McDermott and Barry Stewart of Longford during the Provincial Towns Cup final. Photograph: Sportsfile
Mon Apr 22 2013 - 07:00

Tullamore 38 Longford 9

Tullamore ended their monumental season in crowning glory yesterday as they powered to a Towns Cup triumph at the expense of a Longford side that had no answer for their attacking prowess .

Tullamore produced a convincing display of rugby to claim a competition that they lost three years in a row from 2009 to 2011.

Playing against the wind in the first half, Tullamore had to soak up plenty of Longford pressure but once Tom Gilligan scampered in under the posts in the 29th minute, Tullamore never looked like losing.

Colm Glynn had earlier kicked two penalties for the Longford men but Aaron Deverell also had his kicking boots on for the Offaly side as the captain and man of the match them to a 13-6 half time lead.

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Longford started brightly in the second half but Tullamore got in for a try on the back of a driving maul resulting in Richie Hughes feeding Adrian Hanley to go over.

With the game pretty much sown up, Tullamore added two more tries from Conor Molloy and Cathal Feighery with Deverell slotting over a conversion from the sideline and a penalty to stretch their lead. With the Leinster league, All-Ireland Junior Cup and senior status achieved before the start of play, Tullamore added their savoured Towns Cup to the collection ahead of their imminent move to senior rugby next season.

TULLAMORE: B Geraghty; C Molloy, D Clavin, I Scully, T Gilligan; A Deverell, R Hughes; D Lowry, C Feighery, G Molloy; I Deverell, A Hughes; D Milne, R Connor, A Hanley: Subs: C Glennon for A Hughes (66 mins), K Browne for R Connor, C Hughes for T Gilligan (both 69mins), A Hughes for A Hanley, P Deering for D Lowry (both 75 mins), A Hughes for D Milne (76 mins).
LONGFORD: C Kennedy; G McDermott, J Connolly, J O'Connell, B Trueick; C Glynn, N Farrell; B Gilligan, R Keith, J Duffy; B McManus, C Richardson; B Stewart, D Farrell, P Gallogly. Subs: D Fagan for C Kennedy (15 mins), D Quinn for J Duffy, B Fagan for B McManus (both 30 mins), J Duffy for B Gilligan, H Connolly (for D Farrell (both 57 mins).
Referee: G Glennon

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