Greystones come good at the end

THE nocturnal fare served up by Greystones knocked the stuffing out of their lower division opponents as DLSP were eliminated from the Old Belvedere Floodlit Cup after a dull semi-final at Anglesea Road last night.

Greystones adopted an expansive approach to the game early on, but they were thwarted by some dogged DLSP defending. Palmerstown then turned the tables with a counter-attack thrust on the quarter-hour mark which culminated in left wing Larry Eager touching down in the corner from an accurate Niall O'Riordan pass.

Palmerstown continued to take the initiative as Greystones took their foot off the accelerator, and the losers motored further in front in the 26th minute with out-half David O'Riordan atoning for his earlier conversion miss from a penalty kick awarded under the posts.

A Grcystones player finally attached his name to the scoresheet when out-half Richard Murphy landed a penalty from 40 yards eight minutes from the interval which reduced the Palmerstown half-time lead to five points.

DLSP should have extended their advantage early in the second half, but Dave O'Riordan fluffed an easy penalty opportunity before striking the post from a difficult kick near the left touchline.

Greystones finally emerged from their shell, and right wing Ivan Power notched the first of his brace of tries in the 60th minute to draw level.

The persistent Power broke through the Palmerstown defensive ranks for the second time six minutes later to push his side into the lead for the first time. Richard Murphy added the points with an excellent conversion from the touchline.

A different DLSP place-kicker resulted in a change of fortune from dead-ball awards, and fullback Stephen Gormley knocked cover a consolation penalty six minutes from the finish, before the victors rounded off the scoring with a try from back row for ward Alan Dignam, which was converted by Murphy on the final whistle.

Jeremy Guscott said yesterday he had no intention of playing for his club Bath against rugby league World Club champions Wigan. Guscott dismissed the idea of both sides playing each other at their respective 15 and 13 man codes as "a pointless exercise."

Guscott said: "Wigan would thrash us at league and we would thrash them at union. I am sure someone could come up with a better idea, some sort of compromise. As it stands now, I for one, will not be playing."