Greystones 18 Ards 11: Greystones earned the somewhat meaningless accolade of Division three play-off champions at Lansdowne Road on Saturday. As the sides played out an entertaining encounter, Highfield - the regular season champions - prepared for life in Division two.
But club pride took over for the day with Greystones pickpocketing their Ulster opponents in four sensational minutes to settle the tie.
Impressive Ards full back Stuart Paul kicked his side into an 8-6 lead on the hour, to follow up his first-half try, but as they pressed for the killer score Greystones scrumhalf Steve Scanlan intercepted a pass on the blindside in his own 22 and made a 60-yard break downfield. Although pulled down, after a couple of quick recycles he popped up to cross near the posts.
With 10 minutes remaining Ards continued to ask all the pertinent questions but a loose pass from Simon Devoy was pounced on by Nabil McNaughton who raced 70 yards to cross under the posts and seal the win.
Ards had looked the more dangerous team with ball in hand and after five minutes Paul ran an excellent line to cross unopposed wide on the right, thanks to Neil Hollinger's clever pass off an attacking scrum.
The Wicklow club reversed the deficit before the interval via the unorthodox kicking style of Neil McCarthy to give them a 6-5 lead at the break.
Ards regained the lead on the hour after a rumble upfield by former international lock Davey Tweed forced a penalty, which Paul duly converted. They looked to be on course to victory until the late double whammy.
Scanlan's late sin-binning, for deliberate offside, did little to effect the final outcome as Greystones ran down the clock.
Scoring sequence: 6 mins: S Paul try, 0-5; 23: N McCarthy pen, 3-5; 40: McCarthy pen, 6-5. Half time. 60: Paul pen, 6-8; 66: S Scanlan try, 11-8; 70: N McNaughton try, 16-8; McCarthy con, 18-8; 80 (+4): Paul pen, 18-11.
GREYSTONES: D McKechnie; S O'Connell, C McNaughton, G Mackey, N McNaughton; N McCarthy, S Scanlan; N Foxe, P Hipple, M Phelan; N MaGennety, D McGettigan; G Murphy, N Bueck, C McEntee. Replacements: E Toolin for Murphy (77 mins); P Dunne for Scanlon (85)
ARDS: S Paul; N Beggs, S Devoy, N Stewart, R McClemence; S Bell, N Hollinger; J Edwards, R Fisher, P Eccles; G Presho, D Tweed; M Creighton, J McDowell, M O'Shaughnessy. Replacements: J McCavery for Presho (half-time); K Heaslip for O'Shaughnessy (blood, 42-45 mins); G Garrett for Eccles, Heaslip for Creighton (both 65); K McIlwaine for McDowell (76); D Herron for Fisher, C Allen Hollinger (both 81).
Referee: D Keane (Leinster Branch).
