LEINSTER SCHOOLS JUNIOR CUP QUARTER-FINALS: St Michael's College 21 Castleknock College 0:ST MICHAEL'S completed the Leinster Senior-Junior Cup double over Castleknock in emphatic fashion in the younger age-grade quarter-final at Anglesea Road yesterday.

The difference here was that the Castleknock juniors made a far better fist of defending against wave after wave of St Michael’s attack than their senior counterparts, defiantly holding their ground through the stone wall midfield defensive partnership of captain Jack O’Neill and Aaron McNally.

Nonetheless, St Michael’s hooker Richie Allen led the charge of a lighter brigade than the massive Castleknock eight with backrowers Michael Craig and Conor Duffy carrying constantly.

The losers’ resistance took some cracking. Outhalf Ross Byrne banged over penalties in the 24th and 35th minutes for a 6-0 lead that did not reflect the superiority of the school from down the road.

The gaps started to appear with greater regularity in the second period. Lock Stephen Harold flashed over for the first try, Byrne making the simple conversion.

Byrne followed this with another penalty on the hour before fullback Cian Kelleher crossed to score the final try in injury-time.

ST MICHAEL'S COLLEGE: C Kelleher; D Greene, A Comerford, M O'Keeffe, A Leavy; R Byrne (capt), N McCarthy; D Gibbons, R Allen, D Coulson, S Harold, R Maloney, M Craig, J O'Connell, C Duffy. Replacements: N Quane for Gibbons (53 mins); G Keane for Duffy (68 mins); Sam Magnier for Allen, G Morgan for Kelleher (69 mins).

CASTLEKNOCK COLLEGE: J McCormack; S McEntagart, J O'Neill (capt), A McNally, J Daly; D Henry, C Lacey; E Cawley, L Lawless, H Onuke, A Weir, J O'Sullivan, D Quinn, H Kavanagh, M Bennett. Replacements: D O'Connor for Weir ht; B Griffin for O'Sullivan (52 mins); A Farrell for Lawless, P O'Connell for McNally both (58 mins); J Butt for Cawley (65 mins).

Referee: J Montayne (Leinster Branch).