Quigley lands cup with late drop goal

In an engaging contest at Donnybrook yesterday, Lansdowne overcame disappointment in the league to beat Blackrock in extra time to claim the Metropolitian Cup.

That there was not a try to grace this game was down to the fact that both teams, for the most part, defended deep over the 100 minutes.

Perhaps given these tactics, not surprisingly, the two most influential players on the pitch were the respective place-kickers.

In the end the plaudits went to Lansdowne outhalf David Quigley, brother of Ian and Bobby Quigley who have turned out at scrumhalf for Dublin University and UCD respectively at All-Ireland League level.

Quigley's drop goal in the dying seconds finally separated the two sides who both had plenty of experience to call on.

For Lansdowne there was former international second row Gabriel Fulcher, while former Leinster outhalf Alan McGowan was certainly in familiar surroundings yesterday. McGowan put Blackrock back on level terms at the end of the normal time with a splendidly taken drop goal from outside the Lansdowne 22 to tie the game at 18-18.

Lansdowne had grown stronger as the game wore on and their captain Enda Bohan came close to a try in the corner in the second half. Equally, Lansdowne left wing Willie Clancy was forced to pull out a fine cover tackle as Blackrock attempted to move the ball out wide on the half hour.

SCORERS: Lansdowne - D Quigley 4 pens, 3 drop goals. Blackrock - A McGowan 3 pens, 3 drop goals.

LANSDOWNE: S Cooney; S Keogh, N Gunne, A O'Neill, W Clancy; D Quigley, K Becker; E Bohan, C Egan, P McQuillan, R Geraghty, G Fulcher, S O'Connor, S Rooney, S McEntee. Replacement: D Fassbender for Clancy (45 mins).

BLACKROCK: A Guinan; D Kavanagh, M Roche, S Kelly, P Dunne; A McGowan, J Woods; A McSweeney, M Cuffe, S Tanner, P Elliot, P Doyle, M Elkington, K West, D Hackett. Replacements: F O'Beirne for Doyle (50 mins), G McEvoy for Cuffe (53 mins), N Treston for Tanner (70 mins), D Molloy for Treston (95 mins).