Christians squeeze into final

CBC advanced to an Avonmore Munster Schools Junior Cup final with Crescent Comprehensive but they may have used up all their luck defeating a gallant Ardscoil Rís at Dooradoyle yesterday.

The defining moment in a fine contest came in the fifth minute when Ardscoil left wing Rob Whyte charged down an attempted clearance by Christians full-back Cillian Monaghan, tapped the ball over the line and dived on it for a try. But referee Dave O’Flynn ruled Whyte knocked on in the act of touching down and awarded a scrum to the defence.

Christians, after settling, deservedly took the lead with a smashing try in the 17th minute. Right wing Adam McCarthy began a sweeping attack, in which replacement out-half Thomas Quinlan, centre Jack Whooley and forwards Darragh Moloney and Pat Leahy played prominent parts before left wing Chris McAuliffe finished the move off. Scrum-half Ryan Foley landed the conversion for a 7-0 lead.

Ardscoil came back bravely to reduce their arrears with a try by hooker Cathal Flanagan following a close range lineout leaving two points between the sides at the interval.

With captain Patrick Kearns leading by example and his second-row partner Paul Obande always prominent, Ardscoil had the better of the early second-half exchanges but were kept at bay by a well-balanced Christians side in which Foley at scrum-half and skipper Charlie Slowey impressed.

CBC struck their second try on 49 minutes when a kick ahead by Foley took a wicked bounce and McAuliffe raced away for an easy score.

The conversion was missed and Ardscoil showed their mettle by narrowing the gap to four points with a Ronan McKenna penalty when full-back Monahan was yellow carded for a foul.

But Christians withstood Ard Scoil’s furious efforts to grab a match-winning try. “We were very lucky to win it,” admitted Christians coach Russell Foley. “It was backs-to-the-wall stuff in the last 10 minutes but we’ve been very good in similar circumstances through the year. We’re not happy with our performance and a dodgy bounce of a ball that proved the difference between the sides at the end.”

Ardscoil were privately fuming at the decision to disallow that early try. But they refused to use that as an excuse with long-serving mentor Des Harty stating: “We are proud of the way we came back and were well in it until we were undone by an unlucky bounce.”

CBC: C. Monahan; A. McCarthy, A. Finn, J. Whooley, C. McAuliffe; S. Quill, R. Foley; J. Corbett, C. Slowey capt, R. Burke, D. O’Brien, D. Moloney, T. Arrigan, R. O’Sullivan, P. Leahy.

Replacements: T. Quinlan for Quill, (injured, 14).

ARD SCOIL: R. Bourke; R. Deegan, D. Kelly, D. Goggin, R. Whyte; R. McKenna, J. Murray; A. Nihill, C. Flanagan, C. Glynn, P. Kearns capt, P. Obande, E. Kennedy, D. Carroll, C. Power.

Replacements: C. Ryan and C. Irwin for Deegan and Kennedy, (44).

Referee: D.O’Flynn (MAR).