Leinster Schools' Junior Cup/CBS Monkstown - 8 St Michael's College -7: A surprise maybe but CBC Monkstown were worthy victors yesterday, duly becoming the first team into the Leinster Junior Cup quarter-finals where they await either Terenure or defending champions Pres Bray.
Initially, it looked like St Michael's would dominate the hour with an early try from rampaging right winger Mark Bollard, but a stirring revival, coupled with the atrocious conditions, ultimately dictated the day.
The opening try came after out half Stephen Malone's cross-field kick sat up nicely for Bollard, who brushed off the first tackle before tearing down the line. The cover did close in but were unable to prevent the touchdown. Centre Noel Reid added a difficult conversion.
The heavens opened soon after with the match fast becoming a forward scrap - for St Michael's, number eight Andrew Pollard shone while CBC lock David Ivers excelled at the lineout - but CBC's number 10 Killian Horgan did reduce arrears from a 13th-minute penalty and that's how it stayed to the break.
CBC displayed their intentions right from the restart with Shane Grannell slicing through the defence on a 40-yard gallop, only denied a try by a text-book tackle from full back Stephen Murphy.
With the tone set they continued to press forward and after winger Eoghan Gallagher failed to skin Bollard on the outside, the recycle brought them to the St Michael's line. The defence fanned out across the pitch but a clever dummy saw scrumhalf Stephen Roberts scramble over. Horgan was inches wide with the conversion but CBC had a precious one-point lead.
The already cut-up pitch became more akin to a mud-wrestling arena midway through the second-half, by which stage St Michael's had the upper hand, but turning possession into territorial advantage was proving difficult.
With two minutes remaining they finally got a foothold in the CBC half, but the loss of Malone and two turnovers, due to accidental obstruction, at key moments proved their undoing.
Scoring sequence: 4 mins: M Bollard try, 0-5; N Reid conv, 0-7; 13 mins: K Horgan pen, 3-7. Half-time. 39 mins: S Roberts, 8-7.
CBC MONKSTOWN: A Ging; E Cunningham, G Foley (capt), K Jenkinson, E Gallagher; K Horgan, S Roberts; S Devine, S Boucher, D Lewis; R Ivers, S Flood; B Dunne, S Grannell, K Nolan. Replacements: R Kearney for S Devine (49 mins).
ST MICHAEL'S COLLEGE: S Murphy; M Bollard, N Reid, B Graham, R Cruess-Callaghan; S Malone, F Meighan; M Andreason, C Lorigan, M Kelly; K McKenna, C O'Sullivan; A Byrne, A Pollard (capt), C Waters. Replacements: R Croke for S Malone (45 mins), C O'Connor for M Andreason (52 mins), C Stacey for R Cruess-Callaghan (54 mins).
Referee: D Woods (ARLB).
