Life back in Division One will seem a lot less daunting for Dungannon after this fine win at Castle Avenue yesterday. The Ulster side were especially impressive in the first half, which, as things turned out, was effectively sufficient to wrap up the points.
The fact that the Clontarf coach, Alex Wyllie, left immediately after the final whistle for a 10-day break back in his native New Zealand, prompted a variety of mischievous notions. Either way, it can be taken he would have wished for happier thoughts on the long trip home.
Judging by some of Wyllie's withering looks when he rose from his seat on the touch-line in the second half, it can also be taken that Clontarf's squad would not have been especially anxious to spend time with him afterwards. Both parties knew they had been soundly outclassed.
It became a rather curious exercise for Dungannon's key player, David Humphreys. After contributing a handsome 15 points to his team's total, the international out-half was sin-binned five minutes from the end for being repeatedly offside.
As it happened, team-mate Jan Cunningham also departed the scene two minutes later, having been guilty of failing to get back 10 yards from a free kick. But it would be wrong to read anything sinister into the fact that Dungannon finished the match with 13 players: a tough, uncompromising encounter had been admirably fair-spirited.
Though he conceded that they later ran out of steam, Dungannon coach Willie Anderson was understandably delighted with his side's first-half performance: "It was excellent rugby, particularly the way we kept the ball alive."
Meanwhile, Clontarf's problem was that their forwards simply couldn't win sufficiently good possession to challenge more skilful opponents. Yet the outcome would have been undoubtedly tighter but for an unfortunate lapse midway through the first half.
Trailing 3-12 at that stage, the home side pounded the opposing defence with a series of attacks from rucks close to the Dungannon line. So, there was considerable delight when the referee signalled a try from scrum-half Stu Forster. Unfortunately for Clontarf, however, the linesman informed the referee of an off-the-ball infringement and the score was void.
Then, in the opening minutes of the second half, prop Warren O'Kelly looked to have worked his way over the Dungannon line for a try, but on this occasion the referee thought otherwise. These were the only occasions when Dungannon's defence was seriously pressurised.
Otherwise, Dungannon responded very impressively to the prodding and guidance of Humphreys, who was an exemplary playmaker. They were also stronger in the scrum than the home side who often battled fruitlessly against a wheel on their own put-in. All of which meant that the three-quarters had more than their share of scoring opportunities.
Still, the best of their three tries came from a forward. After winning the ball from a lineout on the Clontarf 25, number eight Tony McWhirter set the backs in motion. Then, after the inevitable involvement of Humphreys, it was McWhirter who rejoined the movement to apply the finishing touch.
With only two matches of the campaign completed, it is too early to form a clear impression of Clontarf's prospects of survival in Division One. But they have reason to be concerned, especially about their tight five. And memories are still fresh of the remarkable escape from relegation last April.
Scoring sequence: 6 mins: McWhirter try, Humphreys con, 0-7; 8 mins: Murphy pen, 3-7; 12 mins: Humphreys try, 3-12; 37 mins: Cunningham try, Humphreys con, 3-19; 46 mins: Humphreys pen, 3-22; 54 mins: Brownlie try, Murphy con, 1022; 68 mins: Humphreys pen, 10-25; 83 mins: Murphy pen, 13-25.
Clontarf: D O'Brien; B Casey, A Reddan, D McElligott, O Winchester; R Murphy, S Forster; W O'Kelly, I Sinnott, T Kearns, D Moore, C Power, C Brady, C Brownlie, P Wade. Replacements: C Bewley for Reddan (22 mins), D Hyland for Sinnott (42 mins), J Ball for Brady (70 mins), D Rossi for Casey (70 mins).
Dungannon: J Bell; T Howe, J Cunningham, Alastair Clarke, J Davis; D Humphreys, S Bell; J Fitzpatrick, Allen Clarke, G Leslie, P Johns, K Walker, J Patterson, T McWhirter, A Hughes. Replacements: P Curry for Clarke (55 mins), A Blair for Davis (80 mins).
Referee: D McHugh (Munster).
