IRELAND INTERNATIONALS ALAN Browne and Jayson Molumby both bagged goals in the Championship today, to ensure Sunderland and West Brom occupy the top two spots in the table.
The midfield pair both netted in the respective victories for their teams, warming up for Ireland’s game against England next Saturday at the Aviva Stadium.
Sunderland continued their perfect start to the season by grabbing the third in a 3-1 win over Portsmouth.
The Black Cats have a 100 per cent record and, despite conceding for the first time in almost seven hours in stoppage time, they purred to victory on the south coast.
Zak Swanson’s calamitous own goal, Browne’s close-range effort and Romaine Mundle’s fine end to a counter attack continued Sunderland’s best start to a season for 99 years – where they also began with a quartet of victories.
Browne netted in the 51st minute to put Sunderland ahead 2-0 after that own goal in the 31st minute got them off the mark. There was a scrappiness to the goal as Patrick Roberts got in down the right. The winger pulled back to Eliezer Mayenda, whose first touch was poor but his second poked slowly towards the line, which Browne made sure it crossed.
Mundle’s 56th minute effort put Sunderland up 3-0, before a Luke O’Nien own goal in second-half injury-time proved a consolation effort for Portsmouth.
West Brom climbed into the Championship’s top two after continuing their unbeaten start to the season with a 1-0 win against Swansea at The Hawthorns.
Jayson Molumby’s first goal for 16 months gave Albion a deserved lead in the first minute of time added on at the end of the first half.
Carlos Corberan’s side dominated that first period and could easily have been four goals to the good.
But it was a different story after the break as Swansea created several chances, though Albion carved out two more scoring opportunities.
Albion paraded the latest two of their 11 summer signings, Mikey Johnston and Mason Holgate, before kick-off.
Albion finally got the goal they deserved through Molumby, just before half-time. The Republic of Ireland international slid his shot into the bottom corner of the net after two lovely one-twos with Maja carved through Swansea’s defence.
It was Molumby’s first goal since April 2023 when his brace helped Albion win 2-1 at Stoke.
Muuuuuunster! Muuuuuuunster! Muuuuuuuuunster!
Dave Kearney is gonna have nightmares about Keith earls…
Keith’s a great winger. Now we need a quality 13.
Game will be ruined by that idiot poite
Already inconsistent. Disaster of a ref
The most annoying part of this match is having to listen to Ryle Nugent.
I wish the head of sport in rte would change commentators. ….oh wait
I don’t care which team you support, I don’t think you can argue that Poite is reffing this well. Bad decisions made all around. He is just awful, as usual.
Best team won simple as that.
Why is there Sunderland v United commentary in this thread?
Will probably be removed after I post making me look a bigger fool than normal!
lol it’s gone :p
Except for the mad “Half Time” heading which will probably also disappear now
Ya that confused me too!!
Freaked out looking for the tv guide!! :p
I took a screen grab of it so i’v the proof.
App of the year?
Come on Munster! Time for a big performance!
Poite gives a penalty to Munster from the scrum, and then has a word with both captains. Ridiculous.
And Madigan in a blatant lack of fair play.
Is Poite a rugby referee? Evidence would suggest not.
This is a huge win for Rob Penney. It gives Munster a great platform from which to attack their season.
Mr Penney arguably needed this win more than Matt O’Connor, who is still in his honeymoon period. Although I’m a Leinster man, I’m happy for Penney tonight; he’s taking Munster in the right direction.
He’s a joke of a ref but just as bad for both teams. Munster won fair and square, wanted it more and done what was needed. Good to see earls on the wing once again.
Nice one Chris, ye won the breakdown we won the scrums but we wanted it more. Not one for the purists but we’ll take it. Looking forward to Smithfield…….. sorry, the RDS already!
Can you Munster boys admit the transition is now over!
Form a Leinster point of view what a difference odriscoll makes, take this week compared to last week
All evidence would point to your assertion Chris, for sure. However a team without, BOD, Nacewa, Sexton,Cullen and Jennings (not to mention losing the best coach in world rugby), points towards a team evidently starting their own period of transition. So it would seem.
As an aside. Can we all admit Heaslip is no captain and Kearney is a too much of a liability in defence for the good of Irish rugby?
Nothing worse than a ref dominating and ruining a game…
Well done Munster :D
Muuuuuuuuuuuunster!!!!!!!
Come on yee boys in blue
Well done poite. Moron.
I think on this occasion the better team won, but only just.
Only just on the scoreboard, but they won all over the pitch….
Someone get the ref his blue jersey. Joke of a man, giving everything he possibly can to Leinster.
Don’t cry it’s just a game
Third, ahem, Province?
Muppet!!! ^^^^^
Every decision going to Munster. Shocking result if Leinster lose to these bunch of cloggers
Taxi for Martin !!
Bitter much now Martin
I think you were watching the wrong match Martin.
What a shock! the team that were hungrier and showed more invention won
Leinster did a good imitation of a good team becoming a bad one overnight.
If this is the cream of Irish rugby we’re fecked. Brutal rugby by both teams
I wouldn’t agree. This fixture brings its own pressures. The fear of losing can stunt open play. Nobody wants to lose…
The Northern hemisphere rugby season starts in September.
Ref is terrible. Touch judge no better. If this is the best Munster have at home I fear for their season. If this is the best Leinster have I fear for theirs too. Huge massive improvements needed for next week from both sides. Ref needs to be rested for a season or so.
Perfectly balanced at half time..
Martin will you stand still while I open fire on you……
Thanks.
Leinster were poor munster a little less poor I fear for irish rugby if this is the best on offer. Give munster their day they were the better team but is Matt O’Connor imposing too much of a structured game on leinster? I think so we’re far more dangerous in second half in the loose.
any links to stream the game?
http://www.vipboxonline.eu/rugby/181227/3/munster-vs-leinster-live-stream-online.html