Connacht see off Aironi
Aironi are still without a win in their first season in the Magners League after Connacht edged a scrappy contest 11-6.
Last Updated: 11/03/11 10:14pm
Aironi are still without a win in their first season in the Magners League after Connacht edged a scrappy contest 11-6 at the Sportsground.
Ian Keatley scored all the hosts' points in an error-strewn and eminently forgettable contest, kicking a penalty and scoring a late try for an 8-0 interval lead.
The Connacht outside-half added a second penalty but also missed four kicks over the course of the game, meaning Tito Tebaldi's two penalties were enoughfor bottom club Aironi to claim their sixth losing bonus point of the season.
In the opening minutes the Italians kept Connacht out after two superb touch-finders from Keatley, who missed a subsequent 30-metre penalty.
But a Ray Ofisa-inspired break from deep quickly resulted in Connacht's forwards storming through and Keatley landing the first points.
The visitors were doing well to frustrate Connacht and Joshua Furno, Gareth Krause and Nick Williams were heavily involved up front.
Both try-lines remained untroubled during a listless spell, with James Marshall and Kaine Robertson covering Keatley's kicks and Aironi's maul well defended by Connacht.
A scrum infringement against Aironi prop Ulises Gamboa allowed Keatley a third shot at the posts, but his 40-metre effort went narrowly wide.
Fionn Carr also had a try ruled out for a forward pass from Keatley and Connacht lacked penetration until first-half injury time.
Momentum
A neat wraparound move involving Keatley and Troy Nathan sent the out-half hurtling towards the Aironi line and although Riccardo Bocchino made the tackle, Keatley's momentum took him over.
Connacht looked poised to add to their tally from a close-range scrum early in the second half, but Aironi secured turnover ball and cleared the danger.
Carr's pace was causing more problems for Aironi, and Keatley converted the second of two penalty attempts to make it 11-0.
Eric Elwood's men just could not cut loose though, and the arrival of a flurry of unseasonal snow hampered their attacks as Aironi kept plugging away, marshalled by a determined Marco Bortolami.
Replacement winger Giulio Toniolatti was held up just short of the Connacht whitewash, with Frank Murphy coming to his side's rescue.
Play was brought back for a penalty which Tebaldi knocked over. A powerful run from Williams got the Aironi side back on the front foot and Tebaldi's 75th-minute penalty earned them another deserved bonus point.
