Vinnie Murray Cup: St Gerards School - 24 St Patricks CS, Navan - 17 St Gerard's School number eight Kevin Durkan reigned supreme in compiling a hat-trick of tries to end the odyssey of St Patrick's Classical School, Navan, in the semi-final at Lakeland's Park yesterday.

Openside Zach Desmond put St Gerard's on the road to victory with unconverted tries for a 10-0 lead in the opening quarter that rocked St Patrick's back on their heels.

However, the Meath boys rattled their opponents with a well-worked try by centre Alan McCormack in the 20th minute and his conversion and 35th-minute penalty tied up the scores at the break as the sides scrapped around in the mud on an abysmal afternoon for rugby.

St Patrick's could never quite forced their noses in front. It was left to Durkan to bulldoze over from two similar surges inside the Navan 22 in the 41st and 61st minutes, respectively. Centre Alan Power added both conversions to make it 24-10.

Not even Shane Dawson's commendable injury-time touchdown could prevent St Gerard's from qualifying to meet Newbridge College in the final.

SCORERS - St Gerard's College: K Durkan 3 tries; Z Desmond try; A Power 2 cons. St Patrick's: A McCormack try, pen, 2 cons; S Dawson try.

ST GERARD'S SCHOOL: G Fahey; N Burke, A Power, G Mooney, C Gildea; R Morrison, S Monahan; T O'Kane (capt), G Sinnott, C Kenna; R Lee, S Duffy, D Byrne, Z Desmond, K Durkan. Replacements: E Hayde for Burke (64 mins); J Kinsella for Kenna (68 mins).

ST PATRICK'S CLASSICAL SCHOOL: D Curran; K Brennan, A McCormack, J Brady, R Gorman; B Forristal, S Bedford; D O'Flynn, C Brady, C Curtis, C Dunphy, D McAteer, T Clarke, S Dawson, S Gallagher (capt). Replacements: C Kenny for Brennan (half-time); P Flood for Bedford (61 mins).

Referee: (A Acheson) Leinster Branch.