Gorey 23   Mullingar 6

                       1st Round of the 89th Towns Cup

Gorey were heading into this 1st round of the Towns Cup with a lot of expectation on their shoulders and after a runaway win the previous week against Railway Union in the League it seemed that Gorey were coming together nicely and at just the right time.  Gorey had always got a history of tough hard fought battles against Mullingar and if their away match  against them in the League just before Christmas was anything to go by Mullingar would be travelling with more of the same in mind.  However this is Cup rugby and anything can happen if you are not focused, because in the Cup, League form seems to go out the window, the very mention of the Towns Cup gives every team an added incentive and even the teams whose form may have been desperate all season can turn their fortures around for the Cup.

The weather conditions for the game were less than favourable with a strong swirling wind and soft under foot and with pre match nerves despensed of  the game kicked off with Gorey going on the attack straightaway and when Stephen Duke touched down in the corner only to have the referee judge it knocked on, Gorey ran in their first try soon after when from the back of the scrum the ball was fed out to Neville Copeland who touched down in the same corner. The conversion was put wide in the strong wind. Gorey continued on where they left off and fough their way straight back into Mullingar's  22.  After sustained pressure Mullingar gave away a penalty in front of the posts and James Nolan forced this one over and Gorey were 8 points to the good.  From this point on Mullingar started to get back into the game winning a lot of scrums and were playing a lot of their rugby in Gorey's half of the pitch.  However when Gorey turned over a ruck the ball was passed out to Darren Dunne who made a magnificent run up the pitch and side line stepping players only to be tackled 5 metres from the line but popped the ball up to James Nolan who was in support and touched down. With a near impossible conversion missed Gorey went into the break 13pts to nil.

When the second half started, Mullingar piled on the pressure straightaway and were rewarded with a penalty in front of the posts which they took and got their first points of the game.  It was Gorey who were next to score when after attacking Mullingar's line, a handling error led to the ball been given to a Mullingar player who passed off to his team mate and was trying to clear  his own line and fumbled only to let James Nolan tidy up and crash over for his second try of the day.  The conversion was nearly through the post only to blow back. Mullingar got another penalty for an infringement at the break in front of the posts and this would be their last points of the day.  Gorey finished off a fine performance with a well worked forwards' try, that when all the players got up off the ground Ciaran Allen was the man with the ball.  The final whistle went with a big cheer from the crowd and Gorey won 23 points to 6 points and went into the hat for the next round of the Towns Cup. The draw was made after all the games and Gorey were drawn away to Ashbourne on Sunday 16th of Feburary at 3.00 p.m. The way Gorey are playing at the present time they will fear no team as from week to week they are getting stronger as a unit and will relish the next round against a team who have the tag as Towns Cup  favourites.

 Click here for more photos from the game.