A last gasp try from Jack Aungier and conversion from Andrew Feeney turned agony to ecstasy as St Fintan’s qualified for the Bank of Ireland Vinnie Murray Senor Cup quarter-final at Donnybrook on Thursday.
The Sutton boys owned the ball for the first quarter. They got immediate returns out of their hard-charging number eight Aungier and the ploy to sweep the ball wide into the hands of the back three Jeff Waldron, Tristan Ahern and Peter Hoy.
Last year’s Leinster Club half-back Feeney began to mix it up as the St Columba’s defence fired into contact from all angles, led by flanker Muqtadir Shah and hooker Mark McAuley.
They just couldn’t break away from St Fintan’s stranglehold of possession as centre Declan Adamson threatened to tear it up more than once.
That was until the concession of a penalty and subsequent back chat handed St Columba’s position. This was almost turned into a try on a lightening raid by the impressive Bunmi Oyateru, who was forced off due to a leg injury in a last-ditch tackle.
They were given further encouragement by out-half Wolfe Purcell’s poach and his two kicks at goal, the second of which made the posts right on the stroke of half-time for a 3-0 lead.
St Fintan’s came out rejuvenated for the battle and scrum-half Sean Cribbin tested the blindside. Referee Damian Poder called back play for a penalty only for Feeney to snatch at a difficult chance way out on the right.
Aungier was driven back in a double-tackle and his opposite number Sebastian Laurenceau seized on the ball to force a penalty. Purcell was wide of the mark from distance.
The Rathfarnham school lost a boy to the bin in what would be a test of their organisation and left-footed Feeney looked to turn the screw with his boot.
St Columba’s held firm and when their lineout drive didn’t work, they went to the scrum. Purcell fed centre Peter Quigley on the charge, but he was met with force by St Fintan’s.
Then, the winners turned down a 67th minute shot at the posts in favour of a lineout Aungier found the answer from close range for Feeney to nail the conversion.
At Donnybrook – St Fintan’s High School, Sutton 7 (J Aungier try; A Feeney con); St Columba’s College 3 (W Purcell pen).
St Fintan’s: J Waldron; T Ahern, D Adamson, C Byrne, P Hoy; J McCourt, S Cribbin; L Litchfield (capt), S Feeney, A Naser, T Moore, M Poppmeir, A Ussher, C Hayes, J Aungier.
Replacements: A Feeney for Ahern 8 mins; C Ward for Hayes 58 mins; T Ahern for Hoy 60 mins.
St Columba’s: L Shiels; J Maher, B Oyateru, P Quigley, P Morrell; W Purcell, C Wood; R Baron-Fitzgerald, M McAuley, S Tonge, C McKeever, A Barnes-Auld, M Shah, A Moffitt, S Laurenceau.
Replacements: A Verwijs for Oyateru 27 mins; A Brady for McAuley ht; M McAuley for Shah 41 mins; M Shah for Baron-Fitzgerald 52 mins.
Referee: D Poder, Leinster Branch.
