Premiership Women: Queen’s University 19 Co Cavan 10

Queen’s University welcomed Co Cavan to The Dub for a top of the table clash in the Ulster Women’s Premiership on Sunday 2nd January. Cavan topped the league, going into the game, on 22 points with Queen’s trailing by 3 points on 19.

Queen’s started strongly, looking to get the second half of the season off to a winning start and a break down the right saw winger Lydia Montgomery cross for an unconverted try after 6 minutes.

Queen’s University Lydia Montgomery breaks for the line for the opening score.

The home side continued to apply pressure in the early stages but Cavan began to work their way into the game and after a period of pressure in the Queen’s half at the start of the second quarter the ball was fed out to the right for Kayleigh Rogers to battle over for an unconverted try to take the score to 5 – 5.

Cavan’s Kayleigh Rogers heads for the line for the equalising score against Queen’s

Cavan continued to push for a second score but some quick hands from Queen’s Diane Ramsey set Shannon Buller free on the left with the Ulster player breaking from deep in her own half to finish up under the posts, for a try she converted herself, taking the score to 12 – 5 in Queen’s favour as the teams changed ends.

Shannon Buller dives over between the posts to give Queen’s a half time lead.

The visitors continued to apply pressure at the start of the second half and the pressure was made to count when, Cavan’s centre, Megan Edwards crashed over for an unconverted try to take the score to 12 – 10 towards the end of the third quarter.

Cavan’s Megan Edwards battles over to make it a two point game.

Defending a two point lead, as the game went into it’s final quarter, Queen’s looked to up their game and they kept Cavan defending resolutely. However, a series of five yard scrums saw Queen’s Aisling McMahon in space for the winning score. Ramsey added the conversion to give Queens a 19 – 10 win, crucially denying Cavan a losing bonus point.