Tries: Ronan Doherty, Penalty try; Con: Gavin Dunne; Pen: Gavin Dunne
Try: Penalty try; Con: Barry Keeshan
Gavin Dunne; Conor Hogan, Stephen Grissing, Mark Sexton, Ronan Doherty; Philip Brophy, Matt D’Arcy; Colm McMahon, David Kilbride, Rob Sweeney, Gareth Logan, Damian Hall, Ciaran Ruddock, Darragh Keller, Hugh Hogan.Replacements: Chris Lilly, Ray Crotty, Peter Barrett, Gareth Austin, Rory Brosnan.
Niall Walley; Cian Bohane, Eric Moloney, Willie Devane, Harry Fleming; Barry Keeshan, Eoin O’Shaughnessy; Gavin Duffy, Andy O’Driscoll, Christy Condon, Chris Rowe, David O’Mahony, Rob O’Herlihy, John Quill, Robbie Allen.Replacements: John Leahy, John Clery, Ryan Murphy, Chris Bannon, Eamonn Mills.
The lead score was due reward for the way that the Templeogue side had started the contest, and they soon increased their advantage to eight points.
Full-back Gavin Dunne made up for his conversion miss by slotting a 25-metre penalty expertly between the posts ten minutes in.
Dolphin did start to come into the game as the first half wore on, but they were still very much coming off second best.
Only for some stout defending from the likes of Eric Moloney and Willie Devane, Matt D’Arcy and Mark Sexton, brother of Leinster and Ireland star Jonathan Sexton, may well have added to Doherty’s earlier effort.
The second try did eventually arrive four minutes before the break. St. Mary’s were awarded a penalty try moments after the Cork side’s loosehead prop Gavin Duffy had been sent to the sin-bin.
Dunne was on hand to convert this particular score, which ensured that St. Mary’s took a handsome 15-0 advantage with them into the second period.
Dolphin’s chances of forging a comeback suffered a setback when centre Devane departed the scene with a nasty-looking injury on 51 minutes, but Steve Ford’s charges responded well.
Their winger Cian Bohane forced a penalty try when he was impeded whilst embarking on a lung-bursting run towards the line.
Out-half Barry Keeshan was on hand to convert for the visitors and they played well for long spells, looking like they might to cut even further into the deficit.
Yet despite having plenty of possession and territory, they could not breach the home defence again and Peter Smyth’s side held out for a galvanising victory.
Referee: David Wilkinson (IRFU)