Buccaneers remain in the hunt for promotion after eking out a 12 - 6 victory over Connacht rivals Galwegians at Dubarry Park on Friday evening.
Third in the Ulster Bank division 1B league, but just a point off the leaders, Buccaneers continue to make a strong bid for promotion. At the other end Galwegians are still struggling to lift themselves from the relegation zone, and they will have a week’s rest from action before a must-win contest at Crowley Park against fellow strugglers Bruff who are just two points behind.
Buccaneers showed the greater hunger and spirit, particularly when reduced to 14 men after David Heffernan was red carded for a spear tackle on Shane Layden. However Galwegians failed to take advantage.
Galwegians, with a dominant scrum, earned an early penalty which Tadgh Leader struck well, but nine minutes later outhalf Jack Carty had replied for the home side. Leader missed two penalty kicks which could have put the visitors ahead, while Carty was again on target with two efforts for a 9 - 3 half-time lead. The home side took control in the second half and spurned two penaltes before Wegians gained a foothold. However after four successive five-metre scrums, somehow it was Buccaneers’captain Kiripati who grabbed possession to lift the siege and with it the Galway side’s hopes of victory.
