NOTHING summed up the closeness of the final of the Leinster Schools Junior Cup at Lansdowne Road yesterday more accurately than the closing tense minutes. In the end it was ecstasy for Belvedere and agony for St Mary's as Belvedere prevailed by a point.
This competition has been marked throughout by quality, and this proved a fitting finale as Belvedere regained the trophy they last won two years ago, capturing it for the 15th time. It was a contest on a knife edge from first kick to last. However Belvedere just about deserved their victory, if for no other reason than for the resilience and spirit they revealed in the second period when they came from behind twice when playing into a strong and blustery wind.
But it could have gone the other way. With the match in the sixth minute of injury time, and with Belvedere pinned back in desperate defence, St Mary's were awarded a penalty on their opponents `22', but at a very acute angle to the left of the posts. It was an extremely difficult kick in the prevailing conditions and an unenviable task for St Mary's full back Gareth Murphy. His brave attempt to win the match for his side drifted to the left of the upright and wide, to the delight and profound relief of the Belvedere team and their army of supporters. The final whistle followed and the celebrations and commiserations began.
Six minutes earlier Murphy had been faced with another extremely difficult kick from 45 yards, but that also went wide. However Belvedere were subsequently faced with an examination of their defensive qualities as St Mary's launched a tremendous assault on their line, but the defence held firm.
Indeed the quality of the tackling was a feature of a match played on a hard surface and in a cold biting wind. And while full back Niall Murray emerged as Belvedere's match winner with three penalty goals from three attempts, his side owed much to their pack. They had the outstanding forward on the field in number eight Damien O'Donohoe, and he got great support from second row Eoin Cosgrave, some of whose ball winning in the line out was an object lesson in the art. His second row partner, Cathal Kelly also gained some useful possession. Open side flanker Andrew Cullen played a captain's role in a very good pack.
The St Mary's pack did not yield possession easily and they had in Kenny McArdle a play& who contested the line out with some effect and in number eight Shane Jennings a very accomplished forward. They also had the more potent back line and scored the only try of the match and a very fine score it was, too created by Kieran Lewis and scored by Philip Costelloe.
That came six minutes into the second period and left St Mary's leading 5-3, as Belvedere had managed only a penalty, scored in the 20th minute by Murray, while playing with the wind.That three points to nil lead at the break had not looked enough. But Murray struck again three minutes after Costelloe's try, before St Mary's regained the lead when Murphy kicked a great penalty from out near the right touch line to leave St Mary's leading 8-6.
At that stage St Mary's looked the likely winners and often had Belvedere deep in defence. But the Belvedere backs, in fact, played better in the second half than in the first. They defended effectively and had a very accomplished player at outside half in Donal Crotty, who read his brief extremely well. A superb run out of defence by centre Brian O'Malley gave Belvedere an attacking position, and subsequently Murray the chance to kick what proved to be the winning points in the 53rd minute. Armed with a precious if precarious one point lead, Belvedere defended it not easily, then with sufficient resolution to prevail.
