DLSP threw away a great chance of leaving Dooradoyle on Saturday with a morale-boosting victory when errors allowed the home side to produce a strong late rally that yielded victory.
DLSP looked the better and more committed side for most of the first hour and deserved to lead throughout almost that entire spell, but it was then, too, that they failed to press home their advantage.
DLSP had a good first half try from Phil Costelloe and another on 62 minutes by impressive scrumhalf, Brian Hogan, who dashed from the halfway line on the way to a spectacular individual try.
That score edged DLSP 15-14 in front but after that they werepinned back by a revitalised Garryowen side in which Tom Tierney, Killian Keane, Jeremy Staunton and Paul Neville were outstanding.
Staunton and Keane each kicked a penalty before winger Kevin Hartigan side-stepped his way over for a try which Keane converted to make it 27-15 in Garryowen's favour.
The influential Simon Broughton cleared the way for a DLSP try by Eddie Devitt, which was converted by Damien McCabe, but they were deprived of the bonus point when Keane landed a huge penalty with the last kick of the game.
SCORING SEQUENCE: One min: J Staunton penalty, 3-0; 15: P Costelloe try, D McCabe conversion, 3-7; 26: Staunton penalty, 6-7; 37: K Keane penalty, 9-7; 40: McCabe penalty, 9-10; 47: S Mackay try, 14-10; 62: B Hogan try, 14-15; 66: Staunton penalty, 17-15; 70: Keane penalty, 20-15; 72: K Hartigan try, Keane conversion, 27-15; 77: E Devitt try, McCabe conversion, 27-22; 84: Keane penalty, 30-22.
GARRYOWEN: D Crotty; S Mackay, J Staunton, C Foley, K Hartigan; K Keane, T Tierney; N Hartigan, P Humphreys, R Laffan, E Kelly, R Leahy, C Varley, P Neville, J O'Sullivan. Replacements: K O'Riordan for Foley, F Costelloe for Leahy.
DLSP: E Devitt; P Costelloe, S Stephens, D McCabe, M Viorneau; S Broughton, B Hogan; C Condron, S Sarsfield, D Masters, P McDonnell, K Wheelock, D O'Brien, B Wood, A Wood. Replacements: M Cross for Hogan; D Dobson for Condron; S O'Donnell for Sarsfield; R Frost for McDonnell; T Giles for O'Brien.
Referee: D Keane (Leinster).
