Sport

In form Farrell Blackrock's key

BLACKROCK clinched the All Ireland Under 20 championship at Castle Avenue yesterday when they beat Garryowen 14-8

Tue May 06 1997 - 01:00

BLACKROCK clinched the All Ireland Under 20 championship at Castle Avenue yesterday when they beat Garryowen 14-8. All of Blackrock's points were scored by fullback Emmet Farrell, who turned in a excellent display of handling and place kicking.

Farrell opened the scoring with a well taken try after three minutes. Flanker Leo Cullen picked up a loose ball from the scrum and passed to scrum half Andrew Boyd. Boyd fed the ball to Farrell who ran in from halfway.

However, Garryowen were not found lacking and scrum half Mike Prendergast dropped a neat goal after another 15 minutes. With the score now at 5-3, the game was evenly poised until Farrell landed the first of his three penalties on the half hour to leave the score at 8-3 at the break.

Farrell got into his stride in the second half when he landed two more penalties to put the Stradbrook outfit in the driving seat at 14-3.

READ MORE

Garryowen scored a consolation try near the end when number eight Kevin Culhane crashed over. But it was too late and Blackrock ran out deserving winners. The game was marred at the end when Blackrock prop, Malcolm Cuffe was dismissed for foul play after a fracas broke out.

Earlier, Galway Corinthians emerged victorious from their playoff fixture against Malone in the All Ireland Under 20 championship at Castle Avenue. They beat the Belfast side 14-5 and owed their win in no small way to the astute place kicking of winger, Padraic McDonagh.

Corinthians opened the scoring after five minutes with a try by scrumhalf Padraic Costelloe. McDonagh missed the conversion but at 5-0 up, the Connacht side were beginning to motor.

At 15 minutes Corinthians outhalf John Bresnihan dropped a neat goal to leave his side at 8-0 up, and just before the break McDonagh slotted the first of his two penalties.

A few minutes into the second half Malone got their only score when second row John McCullough won a clean ball from a line out on the Corinthians line and crashed over. Fullback Jeff Parke missed the conversion to leave the score at 11-5. Corinthians sealed it a short while later when McDonagh landed his second penalty.