Sport

Rath takes the initiative

Leinster Junior Cup / High School 8 St Patrick's CS 0 :  A brilliant solo effort from High School's right wing Robbie Rath decided…

Thu Jan 29 2004 - 00:00

Leinster Junior Cup / High School 8 St Patrick's CS 0:  A brilliant solo effort from High School's right wing Robbie Rath decided this scrappy Leinster Schools Section B Junior Cup quarter-final at a windswept Donnybrook yesterday.

Earlier on, second row Ger Prunty and hooker Ben McNally had gone close to breaching the St Patrick's line, only to be repelled by some stiff tackling. Left winger Alan McNally also spilled the ball forward when something looked on.

High School were beginning to look a touch frustrated until Rath took a pass from his able scrumhalf Jonny Sargeant before forging inside and blasting around the outside of the cover for a stunning individual try that was all about pace and his instant change of direction. Worse again, it arrived one minute from the end of the first half.

St Patrick's were almost on level terms on the resumption when Ronald Duff showed great speed to outmanoeuvre the opposition. Sadly he lost his footing as he moved away from High School full back Andy Lohan.

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That was St Patrick's best chance of a comeback. The well-drilled High School pack just had too much know-how for their physically bigger opponents.

In the 44th minute, outhalf Alan O'Keeffe scored from a tricky penalty, given the swirling wind, from 30 metres. It was a lead they never looked like giving up despite the best efforts of St Patrick's Bryan McKeever, Jarleth Brennan and Karl Manning.

SCORERS: High School: R Rath try; A O'Keeffe pen.

HIGH SCHOOL: A Lohan; R Rath, S Sherwood, N Kinlan, A McMurray; A O'Keeffe, J Sargeant; I Cobban, B McNally, R Bannister, G Prunty, J Wright, A Smith, T Meredith, D Wilson. Replacements: T Lee for Cobban (half-time).

ST PATRICK'S: C Smyth; J Coogan, C O'Donoghue, D Tully, R Geraghty; K Manning, S Carr; A Cutajar, J Brennan, R Duff, E Kelly, S Ronan-Duggan, C O'Sullivan, M Byrne, B McKeever. Replacements: B Sheridan for Coogan (44 mins), E Sheridan for Tully (44 mins), C Irwin for Kelly (50 mins), C Daly for O'Donoghue (57 mins), W McDonald for B Sheridan (68 mins).

Referee: P Gray (Leinster Branch).