There was a degree of ruthlessness about the way Skerries dissected The High School in the second of two Bank of Ireland Vinnie Murray Cup first round appointments at Donnybrook on Tuesday.

There was no sign of what was to come in the early exchanges as left wing Colin Jackson was unable to find the target from two penalties as High School looked to set down a marker.
 
Skerries had to fight their way out of a corner. When they did, flanker Con Marrey picked off an intercept and fly-half Ciaran Frawley was on his shoulder to take the ball home and convert from the shadow of the posts.
 
They struck again when smooth ball off the top of a lineout concluded with centre Dara Lowndes finding the posts for their second, Frawley making it 14-0 in as many minutes. 
 
High School almost found the antidote from a sure tactical kick only for the bobble of the ball to beat Jackson with the defence out of position.
 
Their number eight Daragh McDonnell almost executed another interception before being called back for offside, Frawley making them pay the price with a penalty for 17-0 after 18 minutes.
 
Centre Louis Huggard’s willingness to go in where it would hurt gave HS the right position. But, Skerries wing Ciaran Joyce was vigilant enough to claim a mark at the end of a dangerous cross-field kick.
 
It was all to no avail. Frawley broke down the left and hooker Daragh Martin was there in support to complete another lightening raid for Frawley’s conversion to take them out to 24-0 by the half-hour.
 
The game was as good as gone for the High School. This paled into insignificance beside the removal of two of their players Huggard and hooker Oisin Gavigan as a precautionary measure either side of the break.    
 
Frawley was back into his stride to register his second try and full-back Rob McKey broke from deep for their fifth in the 48th minute, Frawley adding the extras.
 
The High School boys could have buried their heads in the sand. Instead, they struck back in fine fashion with replacement scrum-half Tim Dolan finding the line for fly-half Oisin McEvoy to convert.
 
While scrum-half Ruairi Woods completed Skerries half-dozen tries, there was still enough character for the The High School to produce another converted try by replacement wing David Donnelly. 

At Donnybrook – Skerries CC 41 (C Frawley 2 tries, 4 cons, pen; R McKey, D Martin, D Lowndes, R Woods try each); The High School 14 (D Donnelly T Dolan try each; O McEvoy 2 cons).
 
Skerries: R McKey; C Joyce, D Lownes, S Toft, D Downing; C Frawley, R Woods; C McGuinness, D Martin, O Dunne, T Mulvaney, B Jenkinson, C Marrey, J Deering (capt), B O’Keeffe.
 
Replacements: N McCann for Martin ht; A Wheeler for Downing, D Lacey for Connolly both 54 mins; L Cullen for McKey 58 mins; E Attley for O’Keeffe 63 mins.
 
High School: R Butler; C Jackson, L Huggard, L O’Brien, D Butler; O McEvoy, C Prendergast; L Tucker, O Gavigan, E Chambers, R Dowling-Cullen, A Shaw, M Ridgeway, D Aspil (capt), D McDonnell.
 
Replacements: T Dolan for Prendergast 20 mins; C Kerr for Huggard 29 mins; F O’Connell for Gavigan 38 mins; D Donnelly for Jackson, J Chambers for Shaw both 56 mins; S Killeen for Ridgeway 63 mins. 
 
Referee: D Keane, Leinster Branch.