Lions Secure First Win

Leinster 21 - 6 Connacht Donnybrook   Att: 2,100 Referee: Hugh Watkins Friday 17th October 2003, 19:35

Connacht's recent good run came to an end at Donnybrook as Leinster picked up their first win of the season.

Brian O'Meara notched three first half penalties for the home side, opening his account in the fifth minute and concluding the period with a 35-metre effort to give Leinster a 9-6 interval lead. Connacht created enough chances to win the game but enjoyed little good fortune and in the end two Leinster tries in the second-half sealed the issue. Connacht got a perfect start with an Eric Elwood penalty after just two minutes but Leinster responded with two penalties from Brian O¹Meara after 6 and 13 minutes. Connacht were unlucky not to get a couple of tries in that opening half with Tom Carter crossing the home line but Welsh referee Hugh Watkins did not see him his efforts at grounding the ball with Leinster full back Brendan Burke making the covering tackle. Elwood added another penalty on the stroke of half-time but O¹Meara responded with another kick moments later. Leinster had Des Dillon and Emmet Byrne sin-binned either side of half-time but Connacht were unable to punish the home side despite some excellent moves. The game turned in Leinster¹s favour after 59 minutes when Matthew Leek broke through for a converted try and they wrapped up the issue seven minutes later when Aidan Kearney crossed for their second try. The victory was sourced slighly by a late injury to Burke. Burke, who signed a new two-year contract this week, had to be taken off with a swollen ankle 10 minutes later to increase Leinster's injury woes.

Leinster V Connacht   P D C T Pos Player Player Pos T C D P   Brendan Burke 15 Mark McHugh John McWeeney 14 Matt Mostyn James Downey 13 Darren Yapp David Quinlan 12 Tim Allnutt Gary Brown 11 Conor McPhillips 1 Matt Leek 10 Eric Elwood 2 3 1 Brian O'Meara 9 Chris Keane Emmett Byrne 1 Ray Hogan Gavin Hickie 2 Bernard Jackman Peter Coyle 3 Fabien Boiroux Leo Cullen 4 Damien Browne Ben Gissing 5 Andrew Farley Niall Breslin 6 Michael Swift Shane Jennings 7 Thomas Carter Des Dillon 8 John O'Sullivan Replacements Niall Treston 16 John Fogarty David Blaney 17 Adrian Clarke 1 Aidan Kearney 18 Mike McCarthy Niall Ronan 19 Paul Neville Brian O'Riordan 20 Conor O'Loughlin Peter McKenna 21 Dave Hewitt Daragh O'Shea 22 Shane Moore Penalty Tries 0 0

All Pictures: ©  http://www.inpho.ie/, Huw Evans Agency,  Martin Stuart