Belvedere leave it late

BELVEDERE College's right wing Donagh Fitzgerald pounced on his out-half, Cormac Hynes' mis-hit dropped goal attempt to consign Wesley College to a cruel, defeat, in an astonishing 15th minute of injury time in this Leinster Junior Cup quarter-final at Donnybrook yesterday.

Wesley believed they were on the verge of pulling off a real shock when full-back Andrew Copeland landed a penalty from near the left touch line on the stroke of full-time.

Copeland's bravery left him concussed on the Wesley goal line, minutes later. And although his departure was delayed due to the lack of a stretcher, referee Des Woods played a quarter-of-an-hour over-time. Admittedly, there were other stoppages for injuries before, and after, Copeland's removal.

All, this drama seemed most unlikely way back in the first half.

Martin Garvey and Eoghan O'Dwyer scored For Belvedere before Copeland struck a penalty for Wesley to leave Wesley 10-3 behind at half time.

Wesley's insistence on running penalties inside the Belvedere 22 continued well into the second half. With this, Belvedere seemed certain to hold out until leftwinger Mark Gray scored for Wesley in the left corner with only seven minutes of normal time remaining. The conversion was missed, but Copeland made amends in the 59th minute with what he thought was the winning penalty. Little could anyone have foreseen that the full-time whistle, would not sound for another 16 minutes.

. St Munchin's battled their way into the semi-finals of the Munster Schools' Senior Cup when they withstood fierce second-half Rockwell pressure at Tipperary yesterday to win 11-9.

Jeremy Staunton put St Munchin's 6-0 ahead at half-time with a penalty and a dropped goal. Rockwell out-half Robert Halley levelled with two penalties but then Staunton intercepted a pass inside his own 22 and ran 80 yards for a spectacular try. Halley missed a late penalty.