THIS DEFEAT at home on Saturday last against league leaders Lansdowne now puts 'Stones very much in the relegation stakes as they only have three remaining games, with fellow strugglers Highfield and Malone ahead of them by seven points and both having a game in hand.

However, the scoreline while emphatic, does not do justice to the efforts by the home team who played with a great deal of fire and commitment, something that has been lacking for most of the season.

It only took the visitors four minutes to open their account, coming from a five metre line-out, when their much bigger pack drove close in and a pick up by scrum-half Brian O'Riordan saw him scamper over and have a run in to touch down under the posts with the easiest of kicks from out-half Dave Hewitt adding the extras.

Within five minutes Greystones had narrowed the gap after a promising incursion into the visitors half saw a penalty awarded with centre Barry Lynn stroking it over for the three points.

Two long-range clearance kicks by out-half Andrew Kealy, saw the wind carry it over the dead ball line with the resultant scrum back deep in their own half which saw the visitors camped in the 'Stones 22, but their scrum, although faced with a larger opposition, was doing quite well and their defence overall in the opening 20 minutes equally so.

However on 27 minutes, a break out of their 22 by right wing Lorcan Kavanagh, saw him brush aside the Greystones cover to score a fine try, which from a narrow angle, Hewitt duly delivered the conversion.

Kavanagh almost did the same minutes later but a try saving tackle from full-back Simon Malone, in his first game of the season, saw him bundled into touch.

On 30 minutes Lynn delivered his second penalty of the afternoon to narrow the gap and it looked like that going in at half-time that 'Stones would be only eight points in arrears but with a minute to go Hewitt attempted a drop goal which hit the crossbar, but as it bounced back into play Malone knocked it on and a five metre scrum was awarded.

A well controlled push by the Lansdowne pack saw the ball delivered to the right with Kavanagh taking the pass and touching down in the corner for his second try with Hewitt kicking the conversion to put his team into a 21-6 lead at the break.

The second-half saw the league leaders up the pace of the game and although 'Stones were playing relatively well with Lynn and fellow centre Aaron Higgs always willing, unfortunately their line-out was poor, but the scrum, while under pressure was holding, mainly due to the huge effort by No. 8 Luke Mantle at the base.

With ten minutes gone it was Kavanagh who delivered their bonus try with a fine try after some good work by O'Riordan. Three minutes later and a crosskick from halfway, from Hewitt, saw No. 6 Aidan McCullen, with a clear field in front of him and it seemed odds on he would score but as he went over the line he was held up by Malone with the referee adjudging he had not touched it down and a five metre, attacking scrum awarded but with a good shove by the pack McCullen got the score which was not converted.

Five minutes later and a blistering run through the centre from fullback Ross McCarron saw him give the final pass to Kavanagh for his fourth try of the day. Almost from the restart and another run through some terrible defence saw substitute Shane Graham get the visitors seventh of the day with Hewitt, having missed the two previous conversions, getting this one. Then to cap a fine all round performance, second row Nelius Keogh delivered their eight of the afternoon.

With a minute on the clock and from a promising attack down the right, Greystones No. 14 Ronan Carroll, carved his way through two Lansdowne tackles to score in the corner with Lynn delivering the conversion to end the day's scoring.

There is now a two-week break when the league resumes with 'Stones making the journey to Terenure in their final away game of the season.

- JOHN WHISTON