Old Wesley Edge Another AIL Classic Against UCC in Thrilling Encounter
AIL – Old Wesley 44 UCC 41 – 8th Feb 2025
Old Wesley hosted UCC in Week 13 of Division 1B in the AIL, producing a nail-biting 85-point spectacle that kept fans on the edge of their seats.
From the opening whistle, Wesley made their attacking intentions clear. Off a four-man lineout, Paidi Farrell broke the line but was halted by a high tackle. Opting to go for the corner instead of the posts, Wesley executed a well-constructed maul. Stephen Smyth broke off at the base and created a 2v1, setting up Andrew Doyle to score in the corner. Ian Cassidy’s conversion struck the post, leaving it 5-0. UCC earned a scrum off the restart, an area under scrutiny given Wesley’s reshuffled front row featuring Rory Duggan, Stephen Smyth, and newcomer Evin Coyle. Wesley’s pack held firm, winning a turnover in their 22. Alex Molloy then burst through a tackle and offloaded to Eoin Murphy, who raced over for a second try. Cassidy converted, making it 12-0 after just six minutes.
Despite Wesley’s strong start, penalties allowed UCC to build pressure. Peter Hyland capitalized from a maul, narrowing the gap to 12-5. Wesley responded emphatically when a UCC backline error gifted Alex Molloy possession, and he sprinted 60 meters for a stunning try. Cassidy’s conversion attempt hit the post again, keeping the score at 17-5. Wesley looked dominant when Shane Cawley stripped Sean Edogbo, and Ian Cassidy launched a precise kick downfield. In a frantic foot race, Doyle won the chase, kicked through, and grounded the ball for his second, and Wesley’s bonus point, try. Cassidy’s conversion extended the lead to 24-5 with just 20 minutes gone.
UCC fought back through their trusted maul, with Hyland scoring his second try in the 33rd minute. Stephen Smyth saw yellow for a maul infringement, leaving Wesley down a man. Three minutes later, UCC struck again when Harry Murphy scored following a rapid counterattack. Murphy converted to bring it to 24-17 at halftime.
Wesley started the second half brightly. After strong carries and slick handling from Evin Coyle and Rory Duggan, Tom Larke popped the ball to Paidi Farrell, who raced 20 metres to score. Cassidy hit the post for the third time, making it 29-17. UCC’s resilience was impressive, with penalties giving them repeated attacking opportunities. Replacement hooker Luke McAuliffe scored twice in 10 minutes to level the game at 29-29.
Wesley regained the lead when Tom Larke again fed Farrell, who dashed 20 meters for his second try. Cassidy struck the post for the fourth time, but Wesley led 34-29. The seesaw battle continued until Ian Cassidy sparked a brilliant move off a loose UCC kick. After slick interplay involving Willem Johnstone and Kieran O’Shea, Eoin Murphy finished a sensational team try in the corner. Cassidy converted, pushing the lead to 41-29 with 15 minutes left.
UCC weren’t done yet. McAuliffe completed his hat-trick from yet another maul, reducing the deficit to 41-36. Wesley’s Cassidy opted for a penalty to extend the lead to 44-36; keeping a two-score lead, but UCC responded once again with McAuliffe scoring his fourth try. The missed conversion left the score at 44-41 with seconds remaining. Wesley’s defence held firm in the dying moments, with standout contributions from Adrienne Charbonnier and captain Josh Pim, sealing a thrilling victory.
Old Wesley now face table toppers Old Belvedere next week in what promises to be another classic D4 derby.
Scorers: Tries: Andrew Doyle 2, Eoin Murphy 2, Alex Molloy, Paidi Farrell 2; Cons: Ian Cassidy 3; Pen: Ian Cassidy
HT: Old Wesley 24 UCC 17
Team: Tom Larke; Eoin Murphy, Alex Molloy, Eoin Deegan, Paidi Farrell; Ian Cassidy, Andrew Doyle; Rory Duggan, Stephen Smyth, Evin Coyle, David Motyer, Shane Cawley, Charlie Meagher, Josh Pim (capt), Reuben Pim. Replacements: Kieran O’Shea, Oisin Linnane, Gavin Meagher, Adrien Charbonnier, Sam Burns, Willem Johnstone.