Junior Cup replay/ St Gerard's School 11 Newbridge College 10:Captain Conor O'Rourke came to the rescue of St Gerard's School with a 53rd-minute penalty that edged out Newbridge College in this Leinster Schools' Junior Cup first-round replay at Westmanstown yesterday.
It sets up a quarter-final against Gonzaga College at Anglesea Road on Friday.
The sides went at each other with total commitment and it was all-square at the break with scrumhalves O'Rourke and Peter Osbourne exchanging penalties.
St Gerard's took the initiative when left wing Ian Byrne scorched a trail to the line.
It would take something special for Newbridge to get back into the match and it came when outhalf Michael Brown breached the opposition defence for Osbourne to add the two extra points that gave his side the lead.
It was nip and tuck all the way until O'Rourke showed nerves of steel to snatch it for St Gerard's.
NEWBRIDGE COLLEGE: E Keogh-Clarke; R Buckley, K Mahon, S Feeley, J Brophy; M Brown (capt), P Osbourne; D Rigney, R O'Mahony, D Quirke, E Dempsey, C O'Neachtain, J Connolly, B Della, W O'Brien. Replacements: D McConville for Connolly (51 mins), B O'Connor for Osbourne (54 mins), C McIntyre for Feeley (57 mins).
ST GERARD'S SCHOOL: D Simmonds; R Myler, J Desmond, S Hackett-Delaney, I Byrne; S Crosbie, C O'Rourke (capt); A Maguire, R O'Brien, C Hassell, J Conan, O O'Neill, R Cafferky, D Kavanagh, S King. Replacements: P Crean for Myler (half-time).
