The physical prowess of Gorey Community School was too much to handle for The High School as they qualified for the Bank of Ireland Leinster Schools Fr Godfrey Junior Cup final at Clontarf FC on Monday.
They didn’t have it all their own way. In fact, the Wexford boys started nervously with their mistakes inviting danger.
High School were into their stride well for right wing James O’Connor to show a clean pair of heels to the Gorey defence in the sixth minute.
It should have been the platform for greater things to come for them.
Instead, Gorey took over physically, looking to their maul for domination and ramming home three tries by their back row Sean Wafer, Adam Simpson and Jack Ryan, full-back Cian Kenny converting one for 17-5 at the interval.
It was far from a done deal. The losers scrum-half Finn Connelly shot a penalty as flanker Rory Browne and centre Sean Og Barnes showed up well.
They just didn’t have the physical tools to turn their good work into something more tangible.
Gorey centre Greg Bolger and fly-half Mark Boyle pierced High School’s defence against wing Hugh O’Donnell’s reply.
At Castle Avenue – GOREY COMMUNITY SCHOOL 29 (M Boyle try, con; A Simpson, J Ryan, S Wafer, G Bolger try each; C Kenny con); THE HIGH SCHOOL 13 (J O’Connor, H O’Donnell try each; F Connelly pen).
Gorey: Cian Kenny; Alvaro Onieva, Michael Kennedy, Greg Bolger, Flynn Donnelly; Mark Boyle, Cormac Walsh; Cian Sullivan, Thomas Doyle, Pablo Onieva, Martin O’Loughlin, Nacho Farina, Adam Simpson, Sean Wafer, Jack Ryan.
Replacements: Ryan Gibney, Oran Fitzpatrick.
High School: Robert Whyte; James O’Connor, Harry O’Donnell, Sean Og Barnes, Hugh O’Donnell; Cormac Dempsey-Lerchundi, Finn Connelly; Dylan Keogh, Finn O’Sullivan, Matthew Kaye-Mellor, Oisin Cotter-Vazquez, Milo Dixon, Rory Browne, Luan Rogers, Niall McDonnell.
Replacements: Zac Bowker, Daniel Rufli, Jack Farrelly.
