In a thrilling encounter, Loughrea showcased their attacking prowess and collective effort to secure a convincing 33-5 victory over Monivea. Despite a strong defensive showing from the visitors in the first half, Loughrea’s persistence and precision eventually broke the resistance in a match defined by standout individual performances and cohesive team play.

Monivea struck first, with their number 18, Leo Zarodov, electrifying the crowd as he sprinted from deep inside his own territory to touch down for the opening try. It was a spectacular effort that momentarily put Loughrea on the back foot.

However, the home side quickly responded, with Shay Gallagher (12) leading the charge. Gallagher found a gap in Monivea’s defenses to score Loughrea’s opening try, which was duly converted by Luke Dunne (10). Gallagher struck again shortly after, with Dunne once again adding the extras to put Loughrea in control.

Antoni Jakuboszczak (14) extended the lead with a well-taken try, converted yet again by the reliable boot of Dunne. Scrum-half Aaron Kelly (9) impressed with his high-tempo play and was rewarded for his efforts with a sharp sniping try of his own. Jakuboszczak wasn’t done yet, crossing the line for a second time and converting it himself to seal a dominant performance.

Loughrea’s team effort stood out as they combined disciplined defense with creative and selfless attacking play. Every player contributed to the victory, with standout performances from Kelly and Gallagher highlighting the depth of talent in the side.

The final scoreline of Loughrea 33 (5 tries, 4 conversions) to Monivea’s 5 (1 try) underlined their dominance and set a strong tone for the rest of the campaign.