Letterkenny RFC share the spoils with Virginia at Dave Gallaher Memorial Park

MARK FRIEL WAS the try scorer for Letterkenny RFC as they grabbed a draw with Virginia from Cavan.

Virginia played the ball across the field for phase after phase until they made a break and scored in the wing. Letterkenny put great pressure on the kicker making him miss the kick, putting the score 5-0.

Letterkenny kicked off and continuously put Virginia under pressure which resulted in Letterkenny turning over the ball. Ground was made by forwards bringing Letterkenny into the Virginia 22 and finally Eoin Stevenson made a break and narrowly missed out on a try.

With a penalty taken by the forwards, Letterkenny ended up on the Virginia try line and scrum-half Mark Friel scoring the first Letterkenny try from behind a ruck. The conversion was well took by Fabio Cinquemani, bringing the score to 5-7 to Letterkenny. The rest of the first half was played out with with great scrummaging from Letterkenny winning a few Virginia scrums, but no further score.

Virginia kicked off the second half and and again Letterkenny applied pressure keeping the ball in the Virginia half, until Virginia booted the ball into the Letterkenny 22 was caught by winger Rory McGinty who was put under pressure. The ball was turned over and Virginia scored the corner.

Letterkenny won a lineout and kicked the ball up the pitch and reapplied the pressure forcing Virginia to give away a penalty just outside their 22, with five minutes to go. Letterkenny decided to kick for points and Fionn McGarvey scored the penalty putting the score at 10-10 with three minutes to go. Virginia kicked off and Letterkenny played out the phases until final play and they booted the ball into touch, ending the game with a draw.

This was a much improved team performance with better retention and presentation of the ball by the forwards which gave the backs a good platform to play off. Eoin Stevenson, Donnacha Parkinson in the forwards, Ciaran Aikten and Rory McGinty were particularly prominent in a good team performance in the absence of a few regulars.

Letterkenny RFC: Anthony Harper, Eoin Stevenson, Eddie Grant, Conor McMenamin, Joshua Fulton, Donacha Parkinson, Greg Mooney,J ames Sweeney, Mark Friel, Fabio Cinquemani, Brian McHugh, Ciaran Aitken, Matthew Magee, Rory McGinty, Oisin McGarvey, Christopher Gallagher, Brendan Duggan, Fionn McGarvey, Eoin Doherty, Andrew Mason, Jack Smeaton.

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