All-Ireland League Round-Up Division One:UL Bohemians confirmed their status as genuine AIB All-Ireland Championship title contenders with a 15-6 victory over Shannon as both clubs bade farewell to Thomond Park, closing due to redevelopment, with a typically feisty Limerick affair on Saturday.
Winger Ian Hanley crossed for two tries with Ben Martin adding a conversion and penalty, while Shannon outhalf Andrew Thompson missed a third penalty late on that would have earned a vital bonus point.
The defending champions remain in the fourth play-off spot, a point ahead of Garryowen who recorded a crucial 34-14 victory over Dolphin thanks in the main to a hat-trick of tries from former Irish under-21 flanker Anthony Kavanagh.
With three rounds remaining in the regular season the battle for the final semi-final place looks set to be fought out between Garryowen and Shannon as Cork Constitution, Clontarf and UL Bohemians all look capable of retaining their current top-three status.
Especially Constitution who beat Buccaneers 29-16 in Dubarry Park thanks to four tries from Tim Ryan, Cronan Healy, Diarmuid O'Riordan and Tom Ryan.
Remarkably, Blackrock retain an outside chance of making the top four as they play three teams above them in the closing rounds - Garryowen, Shannon and UL Bohemians. They overcame Dungannon this weekend thanks to Leinster Academy player Fionn Carr continuing his remarkable scoring return with 16 points that included two tries. True to form, however, Blackrock still managed to leak four tries in the 26-24 win at Stevenson Park. They now hold the highest points return in the league (304) as well as the most conceded (335). Twelve of their 32 points have been from bonuses.
Terenure also retain a chance of making the semi-finals (as do Dungannon) after beating Galwegians 25-13 at Crowley Park. They are currently in eighth place; just four points adrift of Shannon but more importantly, next to Cork Constitution, they are the league's form team.
Elsewhere, Clontarf also came away from Ulster with an impressive 36-6 win over Ballymena, Lansdowne put an end to Belfast Harlequins revival at Lansdowne Road, while St Mary's eased their relegation concerns with a 27-20 win over UCD.
The league returns in three weeks on March 24th before another two-week break before the penultimate round. The final weekend follows a fortnight later on April 21st.
P W D L F A B Pts Cork Con 12 10 1 1 255 177 5 47
Clontarf 12 8 1 3 233 149 6 40
UL Bohemian 12 8 0 4 242 144 7 39
Shannon 12 7 1 4 243 149 5 35
Garryowen 12 7 0 5 196 153 6 34
Dungannon 12 7 0 5 234 225 6 34
Blackrock 12 5 0 7 304 335 12 32
Terenure 12 7 0 5 213 241 3 31
Lansdowne 12 6 1 5 194 196 3 29
St Mary's 12 5 1 6 194 224 3 25
Galwegians 12 3 2 7 259 235 8 24
Ballymena 12 4 0 8 223 239 8 24
Dolphin 12 5 0 7 203 243 3 23
Buccaneers 12 3 2 7 157 243 1 17
UCD 12 3 1 8 215 325 3 17
Harlequins 12 3 0 9 149 236 4 16
