Keith Cronin finishes second in Circuit of Ireland Rally

BALLYLICKEY'S Keith Cronin (Ford Fiesta Rally2) and his Killarney co-driver Mikie Galvin have finished second in the Circuit of Ireland Rally in Dungannon, finishing 14.4 seconds behind winners, Welsh driver Matt Edwards and his Cork born co-driver David Moynihan, also in a in a Ford Fiesta Rally2.

Cronin/Galvin retain the lead in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. Monaghan’s Josh Moffett and co-driver Andy Hayes in a Citroen C3 Rally2 were one minute and 31.7 seconds further behind in third.

There was little between Edwards and Cronin on this morning's opening four stages. On the first, Edwards was quickest but only by four tenths of a second with Derry’s Callum Devine, the top seed and last year’s Circuit of Ireland winner 6.6 seconds further behind in third.

On the second stage, Cronin posted the best time to move 0.6 ahead of Matt Edwards and the West Cork driver extended his lead over Edwards to 1.9 seconds on the third stage where Devine slid off the road and out of the rally.  Edwards was best on Stage 4 to cut Cronin’s lead to just two-tenths of a second with Moffett 29.6 seconds further behind in third followed by the similar Citroen C3 Rally 2 of Belfast’s Jonny Greer in fourth.

It looked good for Cronin when he pushed his lead out to 4.7 seconds on Stage 5.  However, a heavy shower of hailstone prior to the start of Stage 6 changed the complexion of the rally. Edwards, who had taken two wet compound tyres as spares, made a quick tyre change and pulled 10.6 seconds from Cronin to move into a 5.9 second lead.

Edwards, best on the penultimate stage, took an 8.2s lead into the final stage that was enough to secure victory. Rather than take any risks, Cronin opted to hold second to keep control of his Tarmac Championship bid.

'There was too much in it starting the stage, we said we'd try to hold second and get the points,' said Cronin at the end of the final stage.  'It's been a sprint, but it has still been a really tough rally, a different kind of rally to the West Cork. It's a good result for us in terms of the championship. Matt made an inspired tyre decision in this loop and gave us the jump, it was a good call by him,'

Josh Moffett netted third but Jonny Greer and Desi Henry, also in Citroens  both dropped out, promoting Omagh’s Cathan McCourt to fourth in his Ford Fiesta Rally2 from Garry Jennings, also in a Fiesta.