Schools Rugby Leinster Junior Cup CBC Monkstown 5 Castleknock College 0A single try scored by winger Conor Martin in atrocious conditions saw CBC Monkstown safely through to the second round at Iveagh Grounds yesterday.

The try, touched down from close in after 45 minutes, came following a fierce second-half battle in the mud between both sets of forwards and resulted from a good five minutes of Monkstown pressure inside the Castleknock 22-metre line.

Both sides fought bravely as much against the weather as against each other, but the mud and rain probably gave Monkstown's bigger and stronger pack a bit of an edge.

Neither side had many scoring opportunities and CBC failed to set up any sort of platform in the first half despite their superior forward strength. Castleknock got, at most, three-half chances in the first half but strong defence held them at bay.

Castleknock prop Shane Scott did manage to cross the line after a series of five-metre lineouts but the referee spotted an accidental offside infringement in the process.

Monkstown did look the more superior side in the second half. Once they took the lead they managed to camp in the Castleknock half, and, though they hardly looked like scoring again, they made sure that Castleknock got no further chances.

CBC MONKSTOWN: D O'Brien; C Jordan, R Hallam, J Kearns, C Martin; C Burke, A Sheehan; L White, C O'Brien, A Howard, J Danaher, R Banahan, A Quigley, A Ryan, P Crown (capt). Replacement: E Fitzpatrick for Ryan (43 mins).

CASTLEKNOCK: F Toolan; C Toolan, S Lacey (capt), C O'Riordan, J Allen; M O'Sullivan, R Thomas-Jones; S Scott, A Brady, P Reilly, N Cullen, M Webb, N Quinn, K Breen, J O'Brien. Replacements: A Noonan for Cullen, B Woods for Webb (both 40 mins); D O'Brien for O'Riordan (45 mins).

Referee: S Duncan (Leinster Branch).