Scorers: Shannon: Try: Tom Hayes; Con: Tom Cregan; Pen: Tom Cregan

Garryowen: Tries: Pat Humphries, Paul Devlin; Cons: Gerry Hurley 2; Pens: Gerry Hurley 3

Shannon lost their first AIB League Division One tie at Thomond Park since February as two-try Garryowen rode to the top of the table on the back of a 23-10 victory.

Tries in either half from hooker Pat Humphries and recent Munster recruit Paul Devlin were enough to see Paul Cunningham's side chalk up their fourth win of the season, against their great Limerick rivals.

Fly-half Gerry Hurley opened their scoring with a third-minute penalty, which Shannon left winger Tom Cregan cancelled out two minutes later.

A close range lineout then saw the visitors retake the lead as Humphries, also a tryscorer in the side's last meeting at Thomond (19-all, March 2003), mauled over at the base.

Shannon skipper Tom Hayes levelled though again as his 36th minute effort, with both John O'Connor and Colm McMahon breaking through the cover, brought Mick Galwey's side back into it.

Cregan converted but Hurley's second penalty left it 13-10 at the break to the visitors.

Shannon were unable to keep up with Garryowen's sapping maul drives after the restart, and flanker Eddie Halvey's sin-binning left them in all sorts of trouble.

Hurley notched a third penalty on 53 minutes and with Shannon on the attack, a quick turnover and switch from Alan Purcell to Devlin over halfway, saw the former Widnes Rugby League flyer in for the clinching 78th-minute score.