St Patrick's claim notable scalp

St Patrick's CS 8 St Paul's College 3Following successes by Navan RFC in the All-Ireland Youth Cup, St Patrick's Classical School, Navan, claimed a highly significant scalp by defeating St Paul's College at Westmanstown yesterday.

The Navan team, while relatively short on experience at this level, nonetheless included five players who have been capped for the Leinster Youths.

Victory - which had looked some way off in the second half as St Paul's were awarded a succession of penalties - finally came with just a minute to go.

From a lineout deep in the St Paul's 22, St Patrick's won possession through second-row Chris Dunphy, and with his pack having driven just inches away from the line flanker Thomas Clarke emerged to score in the corner.

After a scoreless first half the story centred on the inability of St Paul's to convert the majority of their penalties.

To be fair on their captain, Conor Keegan, the elements made it difficult, and in the end the Irish under-19 cap had to content himself with just the one penalty.

That had levelled the score at 3-3, after St Patrick's centre Alan McCormack had landed a 56th-minute penalty following a ruck infringement.

Earlier St Paul's had come close with wing forward Garrett Reynolds stopped just short of the try line.

ST PAUL'S COLLEGE: A Menton; B Gallagher, R Grimes, C Keegan, A Nangle; D O'Halloran, K Ó Siocháin; F Donnelly, P Finnegan, D Heggarty, K Gaffney, C Kelly, C Ryan, G Reynolds, M Hickey. Replacements: P Cullen for Gallagher (50 mins); D O'Conarain for Finnegan (55 mins).

ST PATRICK'S CLASSICAL, NAVAN: D Curran; K Brennan, A McCormack, J Brady, R Gorman; B Forrestal, S Bedford; D O'Flynn, C Brady, C Curtis, C Dunphy, D McIntyre, T Clarke, S Dawson, S Gallagher.

Referee: D Phillips (ARLB).