Late penalty try sees Crescent edge past PBC in tense Senior Cup contest
Ruadhan Quinn, pasting the ball to Joe McInerney, Crescent Comprehensive in their Munster Senior Cup match against PBC in Thomond Park. Picture: Brendan Gleeson
Crescent College Comprehensive are through to the Pinergy Munster Schools Cup semi-final following an entertaining four-point victory over Presentation Brothers Cork.
Comp, who have won this competition 11 times shaded a tense contest, played at Thomond Park’s back pitch, before a healthy support from both schools, with the Limerick side bringing the colour and noise often associated with this competition.
Though this was not a direct knock-out game, a second chance presents itself for Pres, both sides had clear intentions of taking the direct route towards the final this spring.
Ultimately it was a penalty try in the closing stages that swung this clash the way of the Limerick men. Prior to that, PBC had nudged ahead during a defensively solid second period, before a lineout routine paid dividends.
The Crescent management will be happy with the application as well as the discipline shown – they only conceded six penalties over the 70 minutes of action. Their set-piece, both scrum and lineout, appeared solid and showed why they had a string of fine results in the group phase ran before Christmas.
For Presentation, Ben O’Connor was a star performer. His expert catching coupled with his long-kicking from full-back gave PBC a foothold in this contest. Indeed, he opened the scoring on 13 minutes when landing a routine penalty. They shared this competition in 2020 and this year are looking to join rivals CBC on top of the roll of honour.
In reply came an Oscar Davey penalty and the tight nature of the contest remained that way on the scoresheet at the interval. It was 10-10 when George Clancy whistled for half-time, following tries at either end. Comp had gone close earlier in the half, but were held up on the Presentation line.
Danny Sheahan finished off a lineout move, which was started by Ivor Dennehy and Salvator Ventura Patricio. In reply came a superb line-break from Ruadhan Quinn before Mark Fitzgerald touched down. O’Connor slotted a superb conversion at one end, while Davey matched him at the other.
Indeed, back-row Quinn led the Crescent charge all game, demonstrating plenty of the skills associated with a modern-day number 8, and several line-breaks in the second half caused the Cork outfit some worry. His talent clear for all to see and his side found him time and again to take the ball into contact.
A scoreless 20 minutes in the second half, O’Connor landed a 47-meter penalty – the first awarded to PBC, after a disciplined spell from Comp.
Then came the winning score. A lineout-maul thundered towards the whitewash and when it collapsed, referee Clancy ran beneath the posts to award the penalty try. Ivor Dennehy was binned for the infringement.
Ger Bourke’s charges didn’t leave Limerick without a fight but fell just short.
The result fast-tracks Comp’s progression to the semi-final, where they have home advantage as they chasing a first Senior Cup crown since 2014.
For 30-time winners PBC, a second chance opportunity arises against Limerick opposition, St Munchin’s or Castletroy College.
J O’Dwyer; H Ezomo, C O’Halloran, W Hoffman, J McInery; O Davey, J Duggan; L O’Grady, C Henchy, M Fitzgerald, J Somers, C Kelly, M Clain, P Obasa, R Quinn.
C Clery, A O’Connor, J Madden, D Murphy, A Ahearne, F Casserly, M Lyons, E O’Callaghan, B Nash, E Bennett.
B O’Connor; Z Dinan, S Sexton, R O’Shaughnessy, S Condon; H Coughlan, L Tuohy; F Cowhig, D Sheahan, S Ventura Patricio, L Herdman, A Keane, J Lynch, I Dennehy, J Sheahan.
M O’Sullivan, P Doyle, T McCarthy, F Rousel, D Noonan, M Murphy, G O’Leary Karem, A Cooke, A Twomey, J Wixted, C Twomey, T Coughlan, C Clarke, A Alderson.
George Clancy.
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