All-Ireland League Round-up:Shannon returned to the top of the AIB All-Ireland League on Saturday by beating their main rivals, Cork Constitution, 3-0 at Annacotty in a match heavily influenced by ferocious wind and rain.
Andrew Thompson's first-half penalty eventually separated the sides after Constitution were denied a late try appeal. Having opted for a lineout, spurning a potential three points, they eventually muscled over the Shannon line but the ball was held up.
Considering the league will be decided on a firmer pitch in May, the main indication of what to expect at the business end of the campaign was the airtight Shannon defence.
After winning the Munster Senior Cup and reaching the AIB Cup quarter-finals, Mick Galwey's men remain on course to emulate the treble achieved by Garryowen last season.
Garryowen and Clontarf make up the other play-off spots after impressive victories over St Mary's (20-6) and UCD (14-8), respectively. The Limerick club failed to gain a bonus point, after three first-half tries at Dooradoyle while hooker Colin Varley was sent off. Clontarf came away from the Belfield Bowl with a valuable four points thanks to the influence of their Leinster Academy halfback pairing, Paul O'Donohoe and Ian Keatley. Both crossed for tries to cancel out the students' solitary touchdown, from their Russian winger Vasya Artemiev.
Blackrock climbed five places to sixth after a 25-9 win over Dolphin at Stradbrook. As with Garryowen, all three tries came in the first half as a downpour conspired against them achieving a bonus point. They weren't helped by the referee's refusal to allow counter-rucking. Young openside Zach Farivarz suffered most with 10 minutes in the sinbin.
Some well-organised defending kept their line intact, the former Lions and Ireland hooker Shane Byrne continuing his impressive season, which included a try when he peeled off a maul 10 metres out. Captain Des Dillon and centre Brian Canavan also deserve mentions for defensive contributions.
Blackrock did, however, lose outhalf Kyle Tonetti to a head injury that could keep him sidelined for two of the next three defining league fixtures, which are all on the road.
Old Belvedere moved further away from relegation trouble with a 15-3 win over Ballymena thanks to tries from David Shanley and their Polish prop Martin Wilczuk. The boot of outhalf Richie Power did the rest.
The other club to come up from Division Two, Greystones, squeezed out Terenure 18-16 thanks to a David McKechnie try in the fifth minute of injury time at Lakelands. James Power supplied the extras, including a drop-goal.
Elsewhere, Galwegians and Lansdowne played out a 3-3 draw, while the UL Bohemian and Dungannon game was postponed.
