Three of Saturday's four Ulster Bank League Division 1A games went right down to the wire, with Tomas Quinlan coming off the bench to rescue a late win for defending champions Cork Constitution against St. Mary's College.
Con prevailed 21-19 thanks to out-half Quinlan’s coolly-struck penalty in the dying seconds at Temple Hill. The foundations were laid by a two-try first half salvo, but St. Mary’s were within touching distance of their first victory in four rounds after Marcus O’Driscoll’s classy sidestepping try and 14 points from the boot of Conor Dean.
20-year-old Munster Academy winger Liam Coombes ran in a hat-trick of tries in Garryowen's 37-28 bonus point success away to Dublin University. Trinity's defence out wide was found wanting as the Light Blues climbed into second place in the table - 10 points behind unbeaten leaders Lansdowne. The students picked up a bonus point thanks to a brace from Michael Silvester, Coombes' Ireland Under-20 colleague.
There was delight all round for bottom side Buccaneers as they ended their seven-match losing streak with a 19-13 defeat of UCD at Dubarry Park. It took an heroic defensive display late on to seal the much-needed result.
Buccs captain Shane Layden chipped in with a try and winger Rory O’Connor also touched down for the seventh time this season, while there were big performances from Luke Carty, who kicked nine points off the tee, and Connacht’s Conor McKeon, the man-of-the-match.
A brace of tries from former captain Ger Slattery was not enough for Young Munster as Clontarf's young replacement Conor Kelly landed a last-gasp match-winning penalty in a thrilling 23-22 victory at Tom Clifford Park. The sides split six tries, with backs Rob McGrath, Jack Power and Sean O'Brien touching down for 'Tarf.
Meanwhile, Old Belvedere jumped two places up to third in Division 1B after overcoming Naas 28-10 at Anglesea Road. Phil O'Dwyer scored the first try and set up David Butler's second, with fellow backs Pat Hughes and Aaron Sheehan also crossing the whitewash.
Banbridge started and finished the scoring at Donnybrook with tries from Conor Field and Caleb Montgomery, but Old Wesley edged their way to a 21-20 win with Jack Maybury kicking 11 points and Cronan Gleeson, the ex-Nenagh Ormond prop, and James O'Donovan contributing tries.
Centre Harry Fleming scored the only try of the Munster derby between Dolphin and UL Bohemians, helping the Limerick men end their four-match losing run with a 13-6 success. The day's other game in Cork finished in a 22-18 win for a Johnny McPhillips-inspired Ballynahinch at UCC.
Shannon extended their lead at the summit to four points thanks to a four-try 27-15 dismissal of Ballymena at Thomond Park. Former Ireland Under-20 international Kelvin Brown bagged a try in an impressive performance at openside, while fellow try scorer Conor Fitzgerald's 12 points took his season's haul to 93.
