Castlebar Rugby Club win Curley Plate

Castlebar Rugby Club senior men’s team got their season off to a winning start by clinching Connacht Rugby's Curley Plate following a hard-fought 43-34 win over Galway's Monivea RFC. Both sets of supporters were treated to a keenly contested 12 try thriller, played at Corrib RFC, Headford, last Sunday.

Castlebar commanded the first half with Donnacha Flynn's early try being added to with three tries scored in the final ten minutes of the first half by Conor O'Neill, Chris Cusack and Orann Burke, ensuring a 22-8 half-time lead for the Mayo side.

On resumption of play, a second try from O'Neill and one from Karl Jackson, each backed up by the accurate place kicking of Seán O'Grady, stretched Castlebar's lead.

Monivea battled back and crossed the line for three quick tries of their own, to leave the scoreline reading 36-27 with only ten minutes left to play.

Castlebar’s Adam Murphy then pinched a try, with the conversion guided over by O'Grady, and this halted Monivea’s momentum.

A gallant Monivea poured forward, and the Galway side managed to score another try, however, Castlebar closed out proceedings impressively and ran out deserving victors in the end.