All-Ireland League: St Mary's pip Cork Con to remain atop Div 1A table as Terenure continue to rise

Clontarf's Fionn Gilbert wins a line out. Pic: Bryan Keane/Inpho

The returning Aidan Moynihan tried his best to inspire a last-gasp win for Cork Constitution, but St. Mary's College pipped them 27-26 to remain in control at the top of Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Division 1A.

Templeville Road played host to another enthralling encounter between these teams, as it did back in April when Cork Con won a gripping semi-final 16-8. This time Mark McHugh's men gained some revenge, with Mick O'Gara kicking a crucial 12 points.

Mary's had to go to the well a few times in order to extend their winning run to five games. They watched Moynihan miss a penalty attempt in the dying seconds from over 50 metres out, but Constitution still took home two bonus points.

Converted tries from O'Gara and Leandro Ramirez saw Mary's get off to a flying start, although Con's robust forward play ensured they hit back through the influential Jack Kelleher, and Billy Scannell via a maul.

Still leading 14-12 at half-time, and with winger Ramirez back from the sin bin, Mary's unfortunately lost captain Conor Dean to injury. In his absence, Con replacement Moynihan, making his first league appearance since January, came to the fore.

His cross-field kick played in Matthew Bowen for a try, before Mary's capitalised on Joe O'Leary's yellow card. O'Gara knocked over a penalty, and on the hour mark, Aaron O'Sullivan broke free to make it 24-19 to the home side.

Recovering from a penalty miss, Moynihan raided over for a superb seven-pointer from halfway, lifting Con late on. However, O’Gara punished a 76th-minute high tackle from the tee – taking his season's haul to 61 points – as Mary's dug deep for victory.

Meanwhile, Terenure College have quietly gone from eighth to second in the standings in the space of three matches. Leinster half-backs Fintan Gunne and Caspar Gabriel helped them to blitz Ballynahinch 52-12 at Ballymacarn Park.

Terenure turned in a dominant second-half display, as Chris Cosgrave marked his return to league action with a hat-trick, and impressive young winger Dan Martin took his tally for the season already to six tries.

Buoyed by back-to-back wins, Ballynahinch were still very much in the hunt at half-time, only trailing 12-7 thanks to Ulster Academy prop Tom McAllister's powerful maul finish in the 25th minute.

Carlos Spencer's 'Nure side had been leading by a dozen points, the opening score coming from Max Russell who burrowed his way over from a ruck, supported by Ben Blaney. Gabriel fired over the first of his six successful conversions.

The visitors struck again soon after the restart. Gunne's steepling kick from inside Terenure's 22 was gobbled up by Gabriel who offloaded immediately for Martin to embark on a searing 65-metre run-in, staying clear of his two chasers.

Ballynahinch held the territorial edge midway through the first half. Terenure were coughing up penalties, and their opponents made them pay, a big drive landing McAllister over the whitewash with backs Mark Best and Chris Gibson adding their weight.

'Hinch tried to repeat the feat on the half-hour mark, only for referee Padraic Reidy to blow up for obstruction. A later maul attempt was sacked by Terenure, and a knock-on near their own line allowed the Dubliners to clear the danger.

Gibson's late tackle on Gabriel after a kick earned him a yellow, and 'Nure capitalised early on the resumption. Gunne's inviting grubber kick bounced up for the chasing Cosgrave to score in the left corner.

Arthur Ashmore's opportunist effort after a kick chase secured the bonus point, making it 26-7. Great work from the restart led to Ethan Reilly finishing off a breakaway try, with young back rower Ashmore supplying the assist.

Gunne scampered to the right of the scrum to put Martin over in the right corner, before a prolonged spell of 'Hinch pressure led to Terenure replacement Eoghan Doherty seeing yellow.

The visitors avoided conceding, instead building their way downfield for Gabriel to send Cosgrave diving over to make it 45-7. Replacement Jon Rodgers crashed over for a late 'Hinch consolation score, but Cosgrave stole in for an intercept try right at the death.

Elsewhere, Hugo McLaughlin followed up on his Leinster senior debut last week with an eye-catching hat-trick of tries during Lansdowne's 62-17 triumph over Nenagh Ormond on home soil.

From the Aviva Stadium's main pitch to the back one, the 21-year-old McLaughlin crossed after 3, 22, and 49 minutes. He won the race to Tom Roche's early chip kick, and raced in under the posts for his second having intercepted a pass on Lansdowne's 10-metre line.

The Academy talent picked off another Nenagh pass for a score from a similar distance. Moving back into the top four, Declan Fassbender's side racked up nine tries in all, with Leinster's Charlie Tector finishing with 22 points - consisting of a try and eight successful kicks.

Nenagh battled gamely throughout, the highlight of their performance coming in the 71st minute when Under-21 starlet Fionn Higgins darted over from a neat Angus Blackmore kick.

Australian centre Blackmore was returning the favour as Higgins had set up his own score on the hour mark, the youngster's pace setting him free down the right wing before he fed the New South Wales native on his inside to cruise in behind the posts.

Meanwhile, Clontarf captain Dylan Donnellan scored his fifth try of the campaign as the defending champions claimed a 29-12 bonus point win over UCD at Castle Avenue.

After accumulating seven bonus points in the previous rounds, Young Munster finally opened their win account with a deserved 22-13 defeat of Old Belvedere. Their strong set-piece game proved decisive as Liam McMahon (2) and Stephen McLoughlin both dotted down.