THE form book was in shreds after this Leinster Schools Senior League final at Donnybrook yesterday. In an exhilarating 70 minutes, King's Hospital put logic aside and played beyond themselves to overturn warm favourites Newbridge College.

Both these sides fought their way out of the same section to reach the final. In their previous meeting, Newbridge were much too strong for King's Hospital. Not so this time!

From the kick off, King's Hospital rattled their opponents and the Kildare boys stayed rattled until half time, by which time centre Ernie Henderson had given - Hospital a 6-0 lead from penalties in the sixth and 27th minutes.

Newbridge regrouped and imposed their superior pack strength for much of the second half. Leslie Copeland kicked a 57th minute penalty as Hospital were made to defend in numbers. Indeed, it was a testament to their tackling that Newbridge only broke through for a try in the 61st minute. Scrum half Barry Guckian's lateral movement off the back of a five metres scrum allowed right wing Niall Welsh to take his pass at full tilt, crashing over out wide. Copeland pulled the conversion wide. He was to regret this.

Into injury time, Henderson must have thought his chance of glory had gone with a 22 metre penalty miss. But he redeemed himself when kicking a more difficult effort immediately afterwards, as Newbridge infringed in desperation.