Bolger late try helps St Fintan's High School in dramatic win over Castleknock College

WINNER: St Fintan's High School’s Michael Bolger scored the winning try for St Fintan's High School

Leinster Schools Senior Cup quarter-final: St Fintan’s High School 29 Castleknock College 27

Michael Bolger was the match-winner at Energia Park on Thursday with his late try helping a St Fintan’s High School, Sutton side that were competing in a Leinster Schools Senior Cup quarter-final for the first time to pull off a stunning victory over Castleknock College.

The game had begun brightly for Castleknock with number eight Ben O’Toole dotting down from close-range after out-half Matthew Brennan had twice opted to kick attacking penalties to touch.

While Brennan was wide of the mark off the subsequent conversion, Castleknock looked set to double their advantage when he found the right-corner off another penalty in the second-quarter. Yet after surviving this latest onslaught, Fintan’s pounced for an equaliser on 24 minutes.

Following a neat delivery into his hands by scrum-half Oisin Kelly, second-row Bolger feigned a pass out wide before driving over the whitewash. This unconverted score meant the sides were now inseparable, but the Fintan’s faithful were daring to dream when a powerful finish from back-row Simon Cantwell propelled the Sutton school into a 12-5 interval buffer.

Castleknock returned for the second half as a highly-motivated outfit and it took some strong defensive work from Fintan’s to initially keep them at bay. However, ‘Knock’s persistence paid off in the form of a second O’Toole try on 44 minutes and they later seized the initiative when Jaydon Carroll touched down off a fast-paced attack.

Yet Fintan’s weren’t prepared to go down without a fight and an outstanding unconverted solo try from Tadhg Young – who had broken forward at electric pace from inside his own half – breathed fresh life into their challenge. Although Castleknock fired back with an Alvaro Moreno Gallardo five-pointer off a Brennan crossfield kick, Fintan’s were on level terms once again when referee Dermot Blake awarded them a penalty try in a tense finale at the Donnybrook venue.

Castleknock flanker Jonathan Ginnety was sin-binned in the wake of this score being awarded and while Castleknock edged back in front with a Brennan penalty, a relentless spell of attacking pressure ended with Bolger crossing over for his second try on 69 minutes to earn Fintan’s an historic spot in the last-four.

Scorers St Fintan’s High School: Tries: M Bolger 2, S Cantwell, T Young, Pen Try Cons: B Barnes, Pen Try Con 

Scorers for Castleknock College: Tries: B O’Toole 2, J Carroll, A Moreno Gallardo Cons: M Brennan 2 Pens: M Brennan 

CASTLEKNOCK COLLEGE: L Mooney (T Quigley 70); A Moreno Gallardo, A Tilly, F Watt, J Carroll; M Brennan, H Reilly; E Shanahan, PJ Matthews (J Brennan 39), B Fallon; R McEntaggart, F McLoughlin; J Ginnety, O Clinton (J O’Loughlin 62), B O’Toole.

ST FINTAN’S HIGH SCHOOL: R O’Shea; T Young, S O’Leary (M Haas 51), G Nostro, F MacDonald; B Barnes (J Burke 56), O Kelly; T O’Connor O’Hehir, R O’Connor O’Hehir, P Palazzetti; R Harvey, M Bolger; L Sanfey, B Dillon, S Cantwell (L Macari-Kelly 51).

Referee: D Blake (LRR).