Cistercian College Roscrea withstood a spirited second half fightback from St Fintan’s High School, Sutton at Energia Park yesterday to reach their first Leinster Schools Junior Cup decider since 1940.

On a high after edging past Clongowes Wood College in the previous round, Roscrea laid down a marker with tries from captain Billy Hayes and Fionn Higgins inside the opening eight minutes.

Higgins subsequently added his second in the 19th-minute and with Sam Cusack also dotting down at the tail end of the opening period, a rampant Roscrea brought a seemingly unassailable 22-0 lead into the interval.

Fintan’s were not prepared to go down without a fight, however, and converted tries by Michael Bolger and Adam Coffey left them just eight points in arrears moving towards the final-quarter.

Yet Roscrea reinforced their authority with a Lee Fitzpatrick five-pointer and even though their north Dublin counterparts fired back through Rory O’Connor-O’Hehir, the school from the Offaly-Tipperary border advanced to face St Michael’s College in next Wednesday’s final.

Scorers for Cistercian College Roscrea: Tries – F Higgins (2), B Hayes, S Cusack, L Fitzpatrick; Cons – J Deegan (2).

Scorers for St Fintan’s HS, Sutton: Tries – R O’Connor-O’Hehir, M Bolger, A Coffey; Cons – B Barnes (2), S Fogarty.

CISTERCIAN COLLEGE ROSCREA: S Cusack; F Higgins, R Carney, J Finn, R Sullivan; J Deegan, F Carney; D Egan, E Brophy, H Maher; C Lewis, S Killeen; J Miller, B Hayes, L Fitzpatrick.

Replacements: L Shiels, S Tooher, F Hogan, C Metcalfe, S O’Hara, G Elliott, R Stone, E O’Neill.

ST FINTAN’S HS, SUTTON: R O’Shea; O Kelly, M Haas, L Martin, R Curley; B Barnes, J Burke; P Palazzetti, S Cantwell, R Harvey; P Fogarty, M Bolger; A Coffey, T O’Connor-O’Hehir, R O’Connor-O’Hehir.

Replacements: C Takaichvili, K Bonar, J Reynolds, B Dillon, S Fogarty, S O’Leary, A Boyne, T Young.