After the heavy rain throughout Saturday morning the Ballymacarn Park pitch was barely playable. As the game got underway the prevailing wind blew from Slieve Croob towards the clubhouse with the visitors from Cork playing with the conditions in the first half.

They did not take too long to settle with halfbacks Joe Crawley and outhalf Gary Cribb kicking play deep into the Hinch 22. As the Hinch scrambled to defend Cribb put a neat kick into the car park corner where winger Shea O’Donavan beat Jonny Cullen to the touchdown for an unconverted try.

Hinch may have had a number of key players missing but they managed to battle hard into the wind with number 8 Michael Graham in particular making a number of strong runs. Hinch managed to close the gap with a Harry McAleese penalty goal in the 11th minute.

Clon used the wind well and as the pitch began to turn into a mud bath the ball became rather difficult to handle. The self-destruct button was pressed once again by the Hinch men, indeed, in checking the records this was the 7th interception of the season, an incredible stat. The guilty party this time was Davy Harris as he attempted to pop the ball to a forward the Clonakilty scrum half Joe Crawley snatched the gift and ran in from halfway to score. Clon skipper David Lombard added the extras to take his side 3-12 clear.

As the mud began to take its toll the Munster side did the basics well driving play into the Hinch half were the home side conceded penalties in the 28th and 37th minutes both of which were converted by Lombard giving his side a convincing 3-18 halftime lead.

Now playing with the wind the Hinch made an early reply, Michael Graham bursting through in the 51st minute from the Clon 22 he managed to slide his way over the line for the score with half the Clon pack hanging onto him. McAleese failed to convert leaving the Hinch trailing 8-18.

Ball was in plentiful supply for the Hinch backs as the visitors became camped deep in their half of the field, but the well organised Clon defence was rearly tested out wide. Hinch needed to keep hold of the ball and develop the phases of play but as the half worn on the backs seemed to run out of ideas and began to kick good ball away when it needed to be carried into contact and when the opportunity did arise with space at the back the ball was never put into the right area of the field.

In the 68th minute the game was going nowhere when suddenly Clon counter-attacked from their own 22 and ran the length of the pitch with some neat inter-passing that put outhalf Gary Cribb clear to score. Lombard missed the extras.

This was the game over and the Munster side had triumphed in the first meeting between the two clubs. Hinch did manage a consolation try by Jonny Cullen with McAleese adding the conversion to complete the scoring in the 79th minute.

The last two home games have been a disappointing end to what had been a reasonable AIB League campaign. They may have been meaningless fixtures with position in Division 2 assured for next season but nevertheless 8 or 10 league points would have elevated the finishing position at the end of the season.
Barnhall and Suttonians have been relegated to Division 3 with Instonians and Bruff being promoted into Division 2.

Buccaneers and Young Munster were both promoted into Division 1, the Hinch defeated both these teams during the campaign and lost 5 league games by one or two points – frustrating to say the least.

This week attention turns to the First Trust Senior Cup and the 1stXV will play Ballymena in a rearranged fixture at Eaton Park on Tuesday evening, kick-off is at 6.00pm.