Con strike late for win over Mary's

Cork Con 20 St Mary’s 16, Temple Hill

Division One leaders Cork Con continued their unstoppable form, coming from behind for the sixth time this season to keep their unbeaten record intact in a 20-16 win over St Mary’s at Temple Hill.

Their incredible record seemed to have slipped away from them as Mary’s full back Cathal Connolly notched two drop goals and a penalty in the second half to give the visitors a 16-13 lead going into injury time.

But Dave O’Brien stepped up in the 46th minute of the second half to cross for Con’s second try, converted by top scorer Pat McCarthy.

The home side fell behind to a third-minute try from Mary’s centre Karl Gilligan, brilliantly touched down in the left corner to give coach Brent Pope hopes of only their second win of the season.

Full back Connolly, the Dubliners' leading scorer, whacked over the touchline conversion for a 7-0 lead.

Con struck back nine minutes later with a penalty from McCarthy, his nineteenth of the campaign to bring his tally to 87 points.

The scrum-half, who has won many of Con’s games by himself this winter, set up debutant out-half Daragh Lyons, a product of Rockwell College, for a try on 21 minutes, as the youngster scythed a gap on his own 22’ to gallop through for the score. McCarthy’s conversion made it 10-7 at half time.

Connolly hit his first drop goal eight minutes after the interval to level the game and soon after his first penalty of the afternoon had Con 13-10 in arrears.

McCarthy levelled as scoring chances soon shored up and Connolly’s opportunist strike with thirteen minutes remaining from all of 25 metres looked to have given Mary’s a deserved win.

However O’Brien struck at the death just as referee David Keane was contemplating blowing up, for his third try of the season and another priceless win.

Scorers: Cork Con: Tries: Daragh Lyons, Dave O’Brien; Con: Pat McCarthy 2; Pen: Pat McCarthy 2; St Mary’s: Try: Karl Gilligan; Con: Cathal Connolly; Pen: Cathal Connolly; Drop gl: Cathal Connolly 2.