SEAPOINT advanced to the semi-final of the Leinster Division 2A/2B Cup with a comprehensive 42-7 win over De La Salle Palmerston last weekend at Kilbogget Park.
It sees Seapoint through to the semi-final of the competition where they will play Skerries at Holmpatrick.
Following a minute’s silence to pay respect to the late Ciaran Keane, a proud Seapoint club member, hostilities did not take too long to get up to full tempo.
Indeed, it was a hardy battle with both sides enduring a number of sin-binnings with both sides losing a player to the sin-bin after an early scuffle at a scrum.
Seapoint, though, settled the better and they got on the board when Ken Casey opened the scoring when a Salmo kick for the corner missed touch and he returned the effort with interest. James Kelly added the conversion for a 7-0 start.
Rory Conway duly barged over from a well-taken line-out to extend the lead out to 14-0 at the half-time interval.
DLSP were given a big helping hand in getting back into the game when Marty Kerr was shown a yellow card in the early phases of the second half. Paddy Crown followed him soon after to reduce Seapoint to 13 players and they stayed at the number when Mark McCoy continued the theme with a third card of the half.
During that time, DLSP got a try back to reduce the gap to 14-7 but it was as good as it got for the visitors as Danny Ruddock burrowed over from a couple of yards out with Kelly’s third conversion making it 21-7, doubling the advantage.
It broke the back of the tie and Seapoint duly finished with a flourish. Brian Cunningham stormed through for the fourth try before Kerr made an excellent line-break before sending Conway over for his second try of the match.
Conway then completed his hat trick with a fantastic individual break from inside his own half to complete the 35-point winning margin.
Skerries overcame Blackrock College in round one of the competition before squeezing past Greystones in the second round last weekend to set up the date with Seapoint whom they meet on Saturday.
The Ulster Bank league then kicks into gear on January 24 with Point travelling out to NUIM Barnhall while Blackrock host Old Wesley in a big south Dublin derby. Wesley lead the way on 36 points with eight wins from eight so far with Rock six points back in second place with just one loss on their record.
