All-Ireland League: Normal service was resumed in the AIB All-Ireland League over the weekend as Shannon returned to winning ways, while all the relegation strugglers faltered.
The Limerick side overtook Cork Constitution at the top of the table thanks to a fine kicking display from Tom Cregan in a dour 9-3 victory over Buccaneers.
Just before the hour mark Cregan slipped into the pocket to nail a superb drop goal from long range. He may have produced the points but again it was the eight men up front that ground out the victory.
Captain Tom Hayes shook off fatigue to play his second full match in as many days, after lining out for Munster on Friday, while Mick Galway's introduction on 65 minutes would not have exactly warmed the opposition's hearts.
The defeat sees Buccaneers slip to fourth and almost certainly sets Shannon up for a home semi-final.
Another team to take a step closer to the knockout stages was Belfast Harlequins. They beat St Mary's 24-9 to claim a valuable bonus point, which put them level on points with Buccaneers and a further two points clear of Ballymena.
Flanker Chris McCarey claimed two second-half tries to seal the five points for the Andre Bester's side.
The chasing pack of Ballymena and Blackrock both won, with the former just scrapping past Lansdowne, 14-11, while it took two late penalties from Conor Kilroy to bail the latter out of trouble away to a doomed Galwegians. At least the Galway club can claim to have gone down fighting and they could yet decide who joins them in Division One as they play St Mary's in their last match.
Elsewhere, Dungannon restored some pride with a 15-8 defeat of Clontarf at Stevenson Park. The result just about takes them clear of the relegation scrap.
Garryowen ensured Dolphin now need something from their final game of the season, at home to Blackrock on April 17th, as they prevailed by one point, 24-23, at Dooradoyle.
The next round of games are on April 3rd with Cork Con returning from their bye-week to face Shannon, a match that will decide who tops the league at the end of the regular season.
