AIL: Cork Con just come up short in hectic finish against UCD
Cork Con number 8 Dave Hyland touching down for a try against UCD at Temple Hill. Picture Denis Boyle.
CORK Constitution were under the UCD crossbar in the fifth minute of injury-time seemingly about to force their way over for a converted try to snatch the points only for stubborn resistance to deny them in a helter-skelter finish at Temple Hill on Saturday.
Referee Daniel Carson found himself facing a home inquisition moments after declaring UCD’s gutsy show of defiance had held up the attack and brought a whirlwind of an energia All-Ireland League Division 1A tie to a finish.
The Students travelled home with the maximum five points and Con picked up two after the pair had an equal share of eight tries thought the Cork club’s top-four hopes took a hit in the process on a day when their 2015 coach Tom Tierney was remembered following his sudden passing.
Backed by the strong wind, UCD surged into a 20-point lead thanks to a couple of converted tries in as many minutes following on from two early Michael Moloney penalties.
Loose-head prop Jack Boyle somehow slipped away from a ruck in midfield and had enough gas in the tank to make the try line after 25 minutes and before they could absorb this shock, Con were hit a second time from a stunning backline move which ended with left wing Alex O’Grady scoring out wide.
They responded quickly enough, though, the back three of George Coomber, Billy Crowley and right wing Daniel Hurley combining for the latter to supply the scoring touch, captain Aidan Moynihan converting and then landing a penalty for 10-20.
Such a target for the second half would have been gladly accepted by Con, but UCD pounced for a third try a few minutes from the break, benefitting from a dubious penalty against the home side at scrum time.
College pressure from a close-range line-out yielded a Sean O’Brien try for a more imposing 27-10 interval advantage.
Despite losing prop Luke Masters for a debatable high tackle on full-back Chris Cosgrove who appeared to slip just before the challenge, Con pounced for three tries in 14 minutes to turn the game on its head and jump in front for the first time.
The bench played a major role in the transformation, replacement prop Brendan Quinlan burrowing his way through after the evergreen Gerry Hurley pumped a penalty to the corner. Coomber converted, 17-27 after 53 minutes.
Quinlan helped engineer a scrum penalty on the hour and it produced a third try, number eight David Hyland unstoppable with the line in his sights. Coomber added the extras to make it a three-point game.
Con’s momentum forced UCD into reverse and the pressure took its toll, another replacement Ross O’Neill forcing his way to the line and while Coomber pulled the conversion left and wide, Con had now moved 29-27 in front.
But they didn’t deal with the re-start properly, Coomber unlucky to see his punt downfield carried by the wind over the dead ball line, handing an attacking scrum to UCD on the 22.
Declining a shot at goal, the Students went to the corner instead and a series of assaults close to the line reaped a reward for centre David Ryan with Maloney converting.
There was still plenty of time for Con, who won a scrum penalty two minutes from the end of the regulation 80 but the maul was held up short of the line, just as they were in the closing play.
Tries: D Hurley, B Quinlan, D Hyland, R O’Neill Cons: G Coomber (2), A Moynihan Pen: A Moynihan.
Tries: J Boyle, A O’Grady, S O’Brien, D Ryan Cons: M Maloney (4) Pens: M Maloney (2).
G Coomber; D Hurley, H O’Riordan, N Kenneally, B Crowley; A Moynihan (c), G Hurley; A Heaney, B Scannell, L Masters; S Duffy, J Kelleher; M Stafford, D Hyland, J Murphy.
D O’Connor, B Quinlan, R O’Neill, M Lamarque d’Arrouzat, L Kahn, G Higgins.
C Cosgrove; H Donnelly, D Ryan, B Brownlee, A O’Grady; J Tarrant, M Maloney; J Boyle, B Sheehan, captain, E Coyle; M Fallon, G Hill; B Burns, S O’Brien, O Spain.
B Porter, C Hennessy, R McMahon, J Cronin, R Gilsenan, J Deegan.
D Carson (IRFU).
App?
