Shelbourne holds nerve

ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE: GALWEGIANS - 18 ST MARY'S COLLEGE - 17: Outhalf Bryan Shelbourne clinched victory for Galwegians in the …

ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE: GALWEGIANS - 18 ST MARY'S COLLEGE - 17: Outhalf Bryan Shelbourne clinched victory for Galwegians in the dying seconds with a 40-metre penalty at Crowley Park on Saturday. His achievement was all the more remarkable as the howling wind was gusting into his face as he struck the target. The score brought his AIL total this season to 68 points.

Galwegians dominated the early stages of the opening half and were well worth their 15-3 half-time lead after scoring all their points in the last 11 minutes. Tries from centre Mervyn Murphy and scrumhalf James Heaslip were enough to wipe out St Mary's earlier penalty. However, the visitors came out of the blocks faster in the second half and in a move started by Barry Lynn and continued by centre Garrett Gannon, flanker Karl Jenning touched down. Lynn converted to leave the scoreline at 15-10 and that was converted into a two-point lead (15-17) after a James Norton try. But it was left to Shelbourne to have the final say.

SCORING SEQUENCE: 18 min: B Lynn pen 0-3; 32: M Murphy try, B Shelbourne conversion, 7-3; 38: J Heaslip try, 12-3; 43: B Shelbourne penalty , 15-3; 48: K Jennings try, B Lynn conversion 15-10; 82: J Norton try, B Lynn conversion, 15-17; 84: B Shelbourne penalty, 18-17.

GALWEGIANS: G Brady; B Liddy, F McLoughlin, M Murphy, N Carolan; B Shelbourne, J Heaslip; A Kershaw, G Flannery, F Farrell, R McCann, J Casserly, K Tierney, B Gavin (capt), J Muldoon.

READ MORE

ST MARY'S COLLEGE: D Hughes; J Norton, K Lewis, G Gannon (capt), L Copeland; B Lynn, C McPhillips; J O'Connor, M Duggan, D Clare, E Keane, G Logan, A McCarthy, M Brown, K Jennings. Replacements: C Connolly for Copeland (57 mins); S Conlon for Brown (72 mins);

Referee: L Mayne (Munster).