CELTIC CHALLENGE – ROUND 7: Sunday, February 9
WOLFHOUNDS 21 GWALIA LIGHTNING 15, Virgin Media Park
Scorers: Wolfhounds: Tries: Katie Whelan, Maebh Clenaghan, Katie Corrigan; Cons: Dannah O’Brien 3
Gwalia Lightning: Tries: Jenny Hesketh, Maisie Davies; Con: Carys Hughes; Pen: Carys HughesH
HT: Wolfhounds 14 Gwalia Lightning 8
THE Wolfhounds needed some big moments in defence and attack in order to beat Gwalia Lightning in Sunday’s Celtic Challenge top of the table clash at Virgin Media Park.
Katie Whelan and Maebh Clenaghan crossed during the second quarter, and replacement Katie Corrigan added a third try in the 52nd minute, but the Wolfhounds had to show their defensive mettle.
Having trailed 14-8 at half-time, Gwalia Lightning set up a grandstand finish thanks to a Maisie Davies score.
They pushed for a last-minute winner, only for Alaw Pyrs to be held up by a combination of Molly Boyne, Claire Boles, and Aoife Dalton.
The hard-fought result means the Wolfhounds now hold a four-point lead at the top of the table, ahead of the Clovers and Gwalia.
They have three games left, beginning with a trip to Edinburgh on Saturday week.
Soeaking after his side’s fifth straight victory, Wolfhounds head coach Neill Alcorn said: “We set out to try and win today. Obviously we wanted the performance first, and it probably hasn’t been how we wanted to play and how we wanted to perform.
“That’s a bit disappointing so we’ll definitely look back at what we can get after. The girls dug in really deep and got the win which is what we wanted.
“We got held up over the line four times. We had some good attack at times. I think from half-time when we talked about what we needed to get after, the first 10 minutes we were very hard to compete with.
“Then we just kind of lost a bit of detail and shape and stuff, but we’ll revisit that. We just need to be better in certain areas of the game, especially our breakdown.”
WOLFHOUNDS: Ella Roberts (Wicklow RFC/Leinster); Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC), Amy Larn (Athy RFC); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Katie Whelan (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster); Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Maebh Clenaghan (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Cooke RFC/Ulster), Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster), Clíodhna Ní Chonchobhair (Blackrock College RFC), Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC/Ulster) (capt), Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC), Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster).
Replacements: Kelly Burke (Mullingar RFC/Leinster), Tricia Doyle (Railway Union RFC), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Alma Atagamen (Balbriggan RFC), Molly Boyne (Railway Union RFC/Leinster), Erin McConnell (Wicklow RFC/Leinster), Katie Corrigan (Old Belvedere RFC), Anna Doyle (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster).
GWALIA LIGHTNING: Jenny Hesketh; Courtney Greenway, Kelsie Webster, Anwen Owen, Caitlin Lewis; Carys Hughes, Sian Jones; Maisie Davies, Molly Wakely, Danyelle Dinapoli, Lily Terry, Alaw Pyrs, Bryonie King (capt), Catrin Stewart, Gwennan Hopkins.
Replacements: Molly Mae Crabb, Dali Hopkins, Cana Williams, Paige Jones, Lottie Buffery-Latham, Katie Bevans, Freya Bell, Carys Williams-Morris.
Referee: Paudie Sheehan (IRFU)
CLOVERS 41 GLASGOW WARRIORS 19, Virgin Media Park
Scorers: Clovers: Tries: Anna McGann, Amee-Leigh Costigan 2, Emily Lane, Deirbhile Nic a Bháird 2, Méabh Deely; Cons: Nicole Fowley 3
Glasgow Warriors: Tries: Roma Fraser, Holland Bogan, Briar McNamara; Cons: Briar McNamara 2
HT: Clovers 31 Glasgow Warriors 5
