The football intelligence of centre Mark Boyle made all the difference as Gorey captured the Bank of Ireland Fr Godfrey Cup for the first time at Donnybrook on Wednesday.
Gorey were able to call on their first choice out-half Mark Kehoe for the first time in a long time. He didn’t see the ball for a while as Dundalk won it and kept it until they were undone by a crooked lineout five metres out.
The strength of Gorey captain Jack Wafer and centre Boyle forced a fumble for a scrum and they earned a penalty there.
It took the swift reaction of full-back Flyn Kiernan to prevent danger as Boyle deliberately kicked his penalty into space for flanker Sean Wafer to almost get to it. It was clever and unconventional.
It was a big stage and both schools were a touch over anxious to make an imprint.
Gorey left wing Flynn Donnelly fought for extra yards only for Dundalk flanker Andrew Cox to turn the ball over.
There were four turnovers in one bout of play as ball protection became a priority. Whoever could keep it would be in business.
Gorey lock Nacho Farina captured a stray lineout and made headway before being accosted for another turnover.
Centre David Murdock almost escaped down the right but for the fingertip tackle of Donnelly.
Another clever kick by centre Boyle had Kiernan scrambling back to concede a five-metre scrum. Number eight Jack Ryan had a pop off the back of it and Boyle was stopped on the gain line by the bravery of Kiernan’s tackle, which forced the full-back from the field.
The schools were beginning to settle into the game now and Boyle opened up from inside his own half to complete a stunning individual try in which he evaded three defenders with a combination of speed and footwork.
Out-half Kehoe converted for 7-0 in the 22nd minute.
The effect was an instant injection of confidence for the Wexford boys.
They looked good for more reward when the ball went to ground on the 22 and Dundalk put pressure on from wing Dillon Dunne’s tackle on Cormac Wolohan-Walsh to force a penalty at the ruck.
A surging maul came close with Boyle cutting down centre Max McGloin in the shadow of the posts.
Referee Barry Armstrong called back play from a penalty advantage and flanker Andrew Cox crashed over for the try in the 26th minute.
Dundalk started to come on strong at this point, turning down an easy penalty to go for broke and scrum-half Gerald Boylan made it from close range for flanker Daniel Molloy’s conversion to make it 12-7 at half-time.
There was extra tempo to the opening of the second-half as Gorey looked for territory and Dundalk for the option to counter into an increasingly brisk wind.
The Louth school worked more in concert as centre David Murdock was twice thwarted by strong defence and Gorey’s Ryan carried the ball out of the danger zone.
Dundalk prop Tobi Akinseloyin was becoming more prominent. Out-half Jack Connolly came up a foot short in a drive for the line and Murdock was held up over it.
Gorey were given oxygen by flanker Wafer’s fine poach at a ruck and Boyle’s angled ball to the 22. They just couldn’t make any progress from there.
It took the electric pace of Donnelly to change all of that. First, the wing made serious ground down the left.
When the ball was recycled, Wafer spun away from more than one tackle and the ball was moved back into the hands of Donnelly, who finished in the left corner in the 48th minute.
The kick and chase worked a treat when Gorey full-back Cian Kenny hunted down Darragh McCoy and a penalty came from the ensuing ruck.
The alert Boyle had the presence of mind to see the space and take it from a tap penalty to make the right corner in the 53rd minute.
Dundalk were able to make good ground until Boyle got his hands on the ball, hammering it fully 60 metres towards the left corner as time ticked by.
They were in a desperate situation and it called for the desperate measure of Murdock taking off from behind his own line for a gain of 50 metres, Boyle finally hauling him down to seal the issue.
At Donnybrook – GOREY COMMUNITY SCHOOL 17 (M Boyle 2 tries; F Donnelly try; M Kehoe con); DUNDALK GRAMMAR 12 (A Cox, G Boylan try each; D Molloy con);
GOREY COMMUNITY SCHOOL 17 DUNDAK GRAMMAR 12
Dundalk: Flyn Kiernan; Dillon Dunne, David Murdock, Max McGloin, Thomas Clarke; Jack Connolly (capt), Gerald Boylan, Tobi Akinseloyin, Zac Coan, Peter Curley, Luke McSherry, Jake Moran, Daniel Molloy, Andrew Cox, Darragh McCoy.
Replacements: David Nwambu for Kiernan 15 mins; TA Irwin for Molloy 45 mins; Jonathan Johnston for McSherry, Cathal Quinn for McCoy both 54 mins; Luke McSherry for Cox 55 mins.
Gorey: Cian Kenny; Alvaro Onieva, Oran Fitzpatrick, Mark Boyle, Flynn Donnelly; Mark Kehoe, Cormac Wolohan-Walsh; Cian Sullivan, Thomas Doyle, Pablo Onieva, Martin O’Loughlin, Nacho Farina, Adam Simpson, Sean Wafer (capt), Jack Ryan.
Replacements: Ryan Gibney for Sullivan 34 mins; Daragh Canavan for A Onieva 40 mins.
Referee: Barry Armstrong, Leinster Branch.
