Sport

Monkstown make the pressure tell

CBC Monkstown 24 St Columba's 0 Dark horses CBC Monkstown will have to sharpen up considerably to make a serious impact in the…

Wed Jan 30 2008 - 00:00

CBC Monkstown 24 St Columba's 0Dark horses CBC Monkstown will have to sharpen up considerably to make a serious impact in the Leinster Schools' Senior Cup after struggling for long periods to subdue St Columba's College in the first round at Merrion Road yesterday.

The McMullen Cup champions went into this game as rank outsiders. It didn't stop their players from putting their bodies on the line or stop their Ireland under-19 outhalf Ian McKinley putting his exquisite left boot to good use in defence of his side.

The problem was his mates were not able to put McKinley into a part of the pitch where he would be kicking for profit, not just position.

CBC's vaunted reputation was somewhat overblown on the evidence of an error-strewn first period. They were slow to clear the rucks and they clogged up the midfield with runners on a tight pitch. Fullback Chris O'Brien kicked them to the lead in the 24th minute. It was all they could produce even though number eight Michael Noone was twice held up over the line, the second time by his opposite number Lewis Mathews.

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Eventually, the pressure had to tell. A lineout opened the way for hooker David Lewis to step through the back door at the end of a maul in the 40th minute for O'Brien to knock over the conversion from near the touchline.

Left wing Stephen Roberts picked up the pieces for the second try when a St Columba's movement went to ground near halfway and replacement scrumhalf Aaron Sheehan sniped through a gap for the third for O'Brien to make it four from four from placed balls.

CBC MONKSTOWN: C O'Brien; N Rogers, G Foley, K Jenkinson, S Roberts; A Ging, S O'Connor; R Kearney, D Lewis, S Gould, R Ivers, S Flood, S Grannell (capt), S Boucher, M Noone. Replacements: J Fitzsimons for Ivers (52 mins), A Sheehan for O'Connor (56 mins), D Conroy for Foley (59 mins), D Graham for Kearney (67 mins), N Smyth for O'Connor (68 mins).

ST COLUMBA'S COLLEGE: M Shirley; A Keogan, C Maenpaa, C Fenelon, E Wilson; I McKinley (capt), C Lilly; D Cooper, S Jocelyn, A Browne, G Howie, A Preston, S Stevens, C Boyd, L Mathews. Replacement: M O'Connell for Mathews (41 mins).

Referee: A Acheson, IRFU.