Bandon brilliance finally rewarded with silverware

Bandon 15 Skibbereen 13: Underage rugby in West Cork is going from strength to strength and will continue to do so for years to come if the quality of the football in yesterday’s Bank of Ireland Munster Under-18 Club Cup final proves a reliable yardstick.

Bandon emerged as outstanding champions but only just edged a gallant Skibbereen side in an exhilarating decider which saw only the width of the Thomond Park crossbar separate two evenly matched, superbly coached squads.

The result brought a famous day for Bandon to a triumphant conclusion given that they had started off yesterday’s three-match programme with victory in the Munster Under-16 Plate.