Match Report | Connacht Eagles 19 Ulster A 19
Ulster shared the spoils with Connacht after a 19-19 draw at The Sportsground on Friday afternoon.
Both sides found it difficult to break each other down in the first half, but it was Ulster who were first to break the deadlock after almost half an hour played through a Cormac Izuchukwu try. Bill Johnston landed the conversion.
Connacht replied with a try from openside, Oisin McCormack, with Conor Fitzgerald bringing the scores level.
Ulster had the opportunity to take the lead on the stroke of half-time after a strong carry from David McCann led to a penalty, but the attempt by Bill Johnston was just off-target. The two sides went into the break with nothing to separate them.
Connacht started the second half strongly. After a period of pressure, winger Diarmuid Kilgallen scored in the corner for Connacht and Conor Fitzgerald slotted the difficult touchline conversion.
Ulster quickly bounced back when Aaron Sexton scored his second try in two games for the ‘A’ side. The conversion attempt was just wide.
Connacht extended their lead to seven points after winger Colm de Buitlear went in for the hosts; Fitzgerald unable to convert.
Aaron Sexton made it a nail-biter of a finish when he scored his second try of the game in the dying minutes, and Bill Johnston nailed the conversion to bring the scores level at full-time.
Full-time score: Connacht Eagles 19 Ulster A 19
SCORERS
Connacht
Tries: Oisin McCormack, Diarmuid Kilgallen, Colm de Buitlear
Conversions: Conor Fitzgerald (2)
Ulster
Tries: Cormac Izuchukwu, Aaron Sexton (2)
Conversions: Bill Johnston (2)
LINE-UPS
Connacht:
(15-9) Oran McNulty, Diarmuid Kilgallen, Shane Jennings, Sean O’Brien, Colm de Buitlear, Conor Fitzgerald, Colm Reilly;
(1-8) Matthew Burke, Dylan Tierney-Martin, Dominic Robertson-McCoy, Oisin Dowling, Darragh Murray, Ciaran Booth, Oisin McCormack, Donncha Byrne.
Replacements from: Declan Adamson, Charlie Ward, Conor Kenny, Cormac Daly, Joshua Dunne, Stephen Kerins, Cathal Forde, Peter Sullivan, Connor Dunne, Hubert Costello, Eoin de Buitlear, Hubert Gilvarry, Matthew Devine, Rory McClane.
Ulster
(15-9) Conor Rankin, Jude Postlethwaite, Ben Moxham, Hayden Hyde, Aaron Sexton, Bill Johnston, Nathan Doak;
(1-8) Andrew Warwick, James McCormick, Ross Kane, Cormac Izuchukwu, Conor McMenamin, David McCann (Capt.), Marcus Rea, Azur Allison.
Replacements: Bradley Roberts, Callum Reid, Oscar Egan, Harry Sheridan, George Saunderson, Lewis Finlay, Bruce Houston.
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