Clongowes Wood College advanced to the quarter-finals of the Bank of Ireland Leinster Schools Senior Cup with a victory over The King’s Hospital at Clontarf FC on Thursday.
The two teams combined to produce an eight-try thriller, with Clongowes captain Anthony Ryan getting the first, converted by Ben O’Shea, inside the opening 10 minutes.
Hooker Bobby Sheehan got Clongowes’ second, with the conversion off target to leave the score at 12-0 to the Kildare school.
KH struck back with a try from Craig Adams, with an excellent Edward Mahood touchline conversion reducing the margin to five.
Clongowes would have the final word before the half-time break, however, with outside centre Joe Carroll finishing a well-worked try. The conversion from O’Shea leaving the score at 19-7 as the sides headed back to the dressing rooms.
The first score in the second half would be crucial and it was Clongowes who got it.
Rossa O’Kane ran it in to extend the margin to 17, leaving King’s Hos’ with a mountain to climb.
To their credit, they never gave up and took a big chunk off that 17-point deficit with their second try through hooker Perry.
Charles Gallen got Clongowes’ fifth to make sure of the win, but a valiant King’s Hospital side got the game’s final score through Matthew Mahood to bring a thrilling first-round tie to a close.
At Clontarf FC – Clongowes Wood 29 (A Ryan, B Sheehan, J Carroll, R O’Kane, C Gallen try each, B O’Shea 2 cons); The King’s Hospital 21 (C Adams, T Perry, M Mahood try each, I West 2 cons, E Mahood con)
Clongowes Wood: C Gallen; J Maher, J Carroll, B O’Shea, C Kennelly; D Wilkinson, C Daly; R O’Kane, B Sheehan, C Duff; D Beggs, T Coghlan; A Ryan, J Durkan, B Dooley.
Replacements: C Dowling, L McMahon, R McMahon, P Dowling, T Gilheany, M Dowling, C Grimes, D Hanly.
The King’s Hospital: P Hickey; I West, C Adams, P O’Boy, C Howley; F O’Loughlin, J Courtney; F Davis, T Perry, L O’Neill; O Evbodaghe, K Smith; C Moore, F Campbell, Z Bursey.
Replacements: M Mahood, T Raban, D Gray, A Carroll, E Mahood, R Joyce, S Boland, L Gilmartin.
Referee: Dermot Blake, Leinster Branch
