Brian Hickey hails heroic defence as Cork Con claim 28th cup win

Cork Constitution 14 Young Munster 0: Cork Constitution claimed their 28th Bank of Ireland Munster Senior Cup title at wind-swept Musgrave Park yesterday at the expense of old rivals Young Munster, whose bravery was not enough against the defending champions.

Young Munster knew it was going to be a tough and disappointing day when they failed to convert a penalty midway through the second half that would have brought them back within sight of the victors

Triumphant coach Brian Hickey, who also led Young Munster in the past, was magnanimous in victory. “I suppose it went on a couple of bounces of the ball at times. At 9-0, the game was up for grabs; this was a tough game, a real test and a full-on game for the 80 minutes. I think we were fortunate in a sense because you have a timeline with the wind and we got our three points, our six points and nine points at important stages.