ANOTHER performance like this and Clontarf may be come eligible for the 40-minute club. Not for the first time this season, Brent Pope's lot have struggled to sustain a steady momentum over two halves, and at Castle Avenue on Saturday they continually failed to kill off a Trinity side who defied all sorts of odds with nothing more than passion, added to the odd bit of flair, to take this Leinster Senior Cup quarter-final.

The hosts were without nine first-team regulars and were hit hardest in the half-back department, where outside-half Nicky Barry had something of a nightmare. But it was at scrum-half, where Tony Lawless deputised for Ronan O'Reilly, that Clontarf suffered most.

Clontarf got off to a good start when Dave Moore powered his way over for an early try. But on 10 minutes, Ireland A cap Jan Cunningham gave the hosts a taster of things to come when the full back sped over for a touchdown.

A penalty apiece from Gavin McAllister (Clontarf) and Ian Quigley (Dublin University) left it at 8-8 all at half-time, before a converted Tony Lawless try put the hosts back in command.

But in a never-say-die attitude, typified most by front row John McKee, Dublin University once more levelled proceedings with Aleric Turtle ghosting through for a simple score, converted by Quigley.

The surprise of the afternoon came shortly later when Pope, playing his first game since injuring his hand in an ill-fated trip to Scotland, showed remarkable pace to go down in the left hand corner.

Trinity then took the lead for the first time when Quigley converted Cunningham's second try before a McAllister penalty once more handed Clontarf the initiative.

But in the final action of the game Clontarf's susceptibility to the overlap was once more exposed: Brian Quinn struck the fatal blow and Quigley duly converted.