Holders Crescent qualify for St Patrick's Day final after stunning 19-5 victory over Castletroy College

Crescent Comprehensive 19, Castletroy College 5: Holders Crescent qualified for the St Patricks Day final at Thomond Park when they scored a well deserved 19-5 victory over Castletroy College in the Clayton Hotels Munster Schools Junior Cup at  UL. 

Crescent will now meet either CBC (whom they defeated in a replay in last year’s final) or PBC, who meet in the second semi-final on Wednesday afternoon.

Castletroy got off to the worst possible start when an attempted clearance was charged down by wing-forward James McKeogh who pounced on the loose ball for the first try after three minutes, Jack Delaney adding the extra points.

The remainder of the first half remained scoreless but Crescent always looked to have the edge and tries in the 40th and 50th minutes by Tony Fitzgerald and Delaney, the first of which Delaney converted, pushed them 19-0 in front before Castletroy grabbed a consolation try shortly before the finish by replacement Ronan Kiely.

Crescent – C Quilligan; G Kelly, S Hurley, T O’Sullivan, B Cosgrove; J Delaney, J Connolly capt; E O’Sullivan, J Fitzgerald, J Cross, D Doyle, S Malone, B Scott, J McKeogh, D Rickard. Replacements – D Spillane, J Rickard, B O’Sullivan, A Herbert, L Burke, O Evans, B Davey, D O’Shea, E Cantillon-Mann, D Fenton.

Castletroy -  R Murphy; D McDonagh, J Aylward, A Rowsome, L Cunneen; A Shanahan, M O’Hanrahan;  J McCormack, R Magill, S O’Shea, J Moloney, O O’Shea, S Quirke, C White, D McMahon.  Replacements – D McGinn, S O’Neill, S DenDikken, J McNamara, R Kiely, J Toland, D Killeen, S McNamara, S Hanrahan, P Ross.

Referee – T O’Donoghue (Munster AR).