Balreask Old side succumb to defeat

They fought and battled but in the end Navan were unable to avoid defeat against Old Belvedere in the AIL Div 1B at Balreask Old today.

What a game this turned out to be. It was full of attacking, enterprising rugby - but the visitors showed a sharper cutting edge in their pacy attack to claim the win.

The Dublin side led 22-13 at the interval and went on to build on their lead in the second-half with Colm O'Reilly lofting over from a late penalty to earn a losing bonus point for the tenacious home side.

Evan Dixon went over for an early try for Navan while Ben McEntagart and Conor Hand also broke through the Belvo battlements for touchdowns in the second-half.

Mark Farrell scored from two penalties and two conversions with O'Reilly tagging points from one conversion and that late penalty.

Ryan McMahon, David Wilkinson, Fionn McWey Will McDonald and Meathman Conall Bird went over for tries for Old Belvedere with Justin Leonard proving accurate from the kicking tee ending up with 12 points.

Defeat here reinforces the point that the battle is really on for Navan to avoid a relegation play-off.

Navan - Ben Daly, Paddy Fox, Sean McEntagart, Evan Dixon, Ben McEntagart, Colm O'Reilly, Mark Farrell; Liam Carroll, Jack Nelson, Niall Farrelly, Colm Carpenter, Conor Hand, Shane Faulkner, Conor Farrell, Hardus van Eeden. Subs - David Clarke, Leigh Jackson, Eoghan Noonan, Conor Ryan, Harry Hester, Keith Kavanagh.

Old Belvedere - Colm Hogan, Jack Keating, David Butler, Justin Leonard, Ariel Robles, David Wilkinson, Peter O'Beirne; James Bollard, John McKee, Ryan McMahon, Will McDonald, Connor Owende, Fionn McWey, Calum Dowling, Tom Ryan. Subs - Joe Horan, Hugh Flood, Dean Moore, Conall Bird, Tommy Whittle, Jamie McAleese.

PHOTOGRAPHS, MATCH REPORT AND QUOTES FROM MATCH IN NEXT ISSUE OF THE MEATH CHRONICLE