St Mary's win tight battle at UCD

UCD 19 St Mary's College 22

St Mary’s College moved up to tenth in the AIB League Division One standings thanks to their tight 22-19 win at home to UCD.

Mary’s held off their Dublin rivals for a second win of the campaign as UCD squandered a late penalty attempt for a draw.

Killian Lett, filling in for the Leinster-tied Eoghan Hickey, missed the late penalty chance from 40 metres out and the home side clung on.

Two tries in the first half from number 8 Mark Donnellan pushed Mary’s into a 15-14 lead at half-time.

Fly-half Jonathan Sexton, who was named in the Ireland Under-21 training squad this week, converted one of them to add to an early penalty.

Lett showed his kicking accuracy in the first half, slotting three penalties to add to winger Morgan Hickey-Crowe’s try.

A try for Mary’s centre Robert Gannon, which was converted by Sexton, gave the home side a 22-15 lead up to the hour, but UCD, with their pack on top, hit back with an unconverted try of their own from substitute prop Brian Hall.

Trailing 22-19, UCD’s forwards carved out an opportunity close to the Mary’s line in the closing stages but it fell apart and Lett’s penalty attempt was the closest they came to adding to their losing bonus point.