Belvedere in command
Leinster Schools’ Junior Cup
Belvedere College……………………………………………… 29
Clongowes Wood College…………………………………… 3
by Daire Walsh
Belvedere College booked their place in the semi-final of the Leinster Schools Junior Cup at Donnybrook, as they saw off the challenge of Clongowes Wood College.
The Clane school had taken the lead courtesy of a 13th-minute penalty by Tom Monaghan, but Belvo crossed over for the first time through centre Cian Walsh seven minutes later. A seven-point contribution by David Hawkshaw at the very end of the half offered the Metropolitan outfit a 12-3 interval advantage, and any chance Clongowes had of forging a second period fight back effectively vanished six minutes after the restart, when right-wing Mark Donnelly touched down on the left-hand side.
Further tries followed via scrum-half Hugh O’Sullivan and the imposing Donnelly in the 39th and 48th minutes respectively, as Belvedere sauntered towards an emphatic triumph.
BELVEDERE COLLEGE: R Clarke; M Donnelly, C Walsh, P Smith, D Corrigan-Forbes; D Hawkshaw, H O’Sullivan; S Osborne, G Murray, J Robinson; D Ring, D McKenna; R Byron, C Byrne, M Kearney.
Replacements: P Maher for Walsh (37), A Grennel for Osborne, J Doorly for Ring (both 49), D Lacey for O’Sullivan (51), D Hill for Byron (55), C Doran for Smith (56).
CLONGOWES WOOD COLLEGE: C Kennelly; D Murtagh, R Lemess, S McCrohan, D Fitzpatrick; T Monaghan, J Murphy; S Butler, D Sheehan, H Murray; P Celebi, L El-Sibai; S Phelan, S McMahon, M Martin.
Replacements: C O’Neill for Murray (h-t), R Fenelon for Fitzpatrick (38), L Barrett-Gomez for Phelan (39), A Odlam for Murphy, B Messayeh for Murphy (both 49).
Referee: H O’Reilly (LRR).