Cork Consitution 21 UL Bohemians 18:Cronan Healy's seventh league try of the season couldn't have come at a more opportune time for Cork Constitution than at Temple Hill on Saturday, when they denied UL Bohemians to book a place in the AIB League Division One final.
Con, who hadn't lost at home all through the campaign, were staring at a shock defeat as the gallant Limerick side clung to an 18-14 advantage until disaster struck three minutes from the end of regulation time.
Fullback Edwin Torrie gambled on off-loading the ball on his own 10-metre line only for the pass to fall short of its intended target, and in the blink of an eye Healy seized his moment to race away and score at the posts, Richard Lane adding the extras.
A shell-shocked UL Bohemians could not conjure a telling reply in the remaining eight minutes, as Con ran down the clock before the final whistle brought relief for them and despair for the Limerick side. The winners will be the first to admit a repeat display will hardly suffice against Garryowen in Saturday's Musgrave Park decider.
It was rough justice on the young UL Bohemians side, who showed little regard for their opponents' lofty reputation, regularly taking the game to their hosts. Flanker Tommy O'Donnell was the outstanding player on view and formed part of a magnificent back row that blotted out the Con trio for long spells.
UL Bohemians showed commendable courage and self-belief, too, particularly at the start of the closing quarter. They fell behind to a try from temporary replacement John Moloney, who scored with his only touch on 60 minutes after Shane O'Connor required treatment for a facial injury.
Within three minutes, however, the lead had changed hands again. Torrie did well to keep a partially blocked clearance kick from dropping into touch as his side upped the tempo and pinned Con back in their own 22.
The pressure told finally as a sweeping pass from scrumhalf Chris Delooze fell into the lap of Ben Martin, who sent O'Donnell in at the posts for a try that Martin converted for an 18-14 lead.
In a wind-assisted first-half UL Bohemians recovered from conceding two early Lane penalties to produce a superb five-pointer for Martin McPhail, his 11th of the campaign, after 14 minutes. Fergal Lawlor and Martin combined to send the flying winger in for an unconverted try.
They inched in front with a long-range Lawlor drop-goal after 36 minutes, and a Martin penalty in stoppage time left UL Bohemians 11-6 in front at the break.
Lane reduced it to 11-9 with a third penalty six minutes into the second half before a flurry of activity and Healy's decisive score in a hectic closing quarter.
CORK CONSTITUTION: D Hurley; R Lane, D O'Kane, T Gleeson, C Healy; D Lyons, P McKee; C Murphy, D Murray, Tim Ryan; R Noonan, S O'Connor; M O'Connell, F Cogan (capt), B Cuttriss. Subs: Tom Ryan for Murphy (48 mins), E Leamy for Cuttriss (58 mins), J Moloney for S O'Connor (59-63 mins), R Quinn for Murray (79 mins).
UL BOHEMIANS: E Torrie; M McPhail, B Martin, C Finn, T Luke; F Lawlor, C Delooze; G Walsh, G Ryan, M Storey; B Madigan, R Hartigan; T O'Donnell, J O'Neill, J O'Connor. Subs: F Leonard for Ryan (57 mins), A Hartigan for O'Neill (66 mins), R Feeney for Storey (injured, 71 mins), I Hanly for Luke (79 mins).
Referee: G Clancy (MAR).
