Scott hails PBC’s battling qualities
In total contrast to their previous meeting, tries were at a premium in this Avonmore Milk Munster Schools’ Senior Cup quarter-final replay at Clifford Park yesterday. Presentation Brothers College’s prize is a semi-final with St Munchin’s and these two tough matches might well be of huge value to them. Without key players Steve Dinan and Will Foley, they battled on and coach Peter Scott hopes that quality will stand to them.
“We’re just hoping we avoid further injuries,” he said. “These two matches, hopefully, will benefit us because they were quality matches that tested us to the limit. To Glenstal’s credit, they played the game at a very high tempo, particularly in the first half, and I reckon we were lucky to be level at three points apiece at the break.
“But we got a great second-half try. We were disappointed at conceding a penalty before that and quite honestly we’re a bit confused as to what it was for, but that try settled us. We showed a bit of class in scoring that.
“Defensively we stood up to the task very well against a good attacking side. We were hanging in there, only two points ahead at the end, but I thought everyone showed great resolve. There was no panic and we just played out the game in their territory.”
The first chance fell to Glenstal, but Luke Bradley’s penalty fell inches short. The Morroe-based school made most of the running too, holding possession and often threatening through clever back play from Luke Bradley and centres Ian Kenny and Andrew Boland.
Although Pres had to do a considerable amount of defending they managed to hold firm, thanks to some excellent breakdown work and a little luck when Glenstal wing Rob Shanahan was judged to have knocked on after winning a race to pick up and set off on what would have been a certain 20th-minute try.
Glenstal struck first with a superbly executed penalty from near halfway by Bradley after 25 minutes before the Cork side responded with a Rory Scannell penalty.
A brilliant Glenstal movement involving skipper Sean Gleeson and number eight Tom Ryan almost yielded an early second-half try, with Brian Crowley breaking up the move, before Pres were harshly penalised and Bradley kicked the penalty.
Pres responded vigorously and scored the opening try with Rory Scannell’s short pass allowing Seamus Glynn the room to cross at the posts. Scannell converting for a 10-6 lead.
The drama didn’t end there — Bradley missed a penalty for Glenstal, Scannell then kicked one for Pres only for the Cork side to concede a try on 67 minutes to Rob Shanahan that went unconverted.
The game was really back in the melting pot and the concession of more silly penalties in an already lopsided penalty count didn’t calm the nerves of the travelling supporters. But, as in the drawn game, the Pres pack came up trumps with John Fitzgerald figuring prominently, capably backed by Max Abbott and Kieran Farmer, who slotted in for the injured Foley with considerable distinction.
PBC: B Crowley, J Barrett, S Glynn, C Murphy, P O’Brien, R Scannell, P O’Leary, A Slattery, M Abbott, D Hartnett, R McCarthy, I Silke, P Derham, J Fitzgerald (capt), K Farmer.
Replacements: R Callanan for Slattery (60).
GLENSTAL ABBEY: S Gleeson (capt), H Connors, A Boland, I Kenny, R Shanahan, L Bradley, A Devereaux, K Lynch, C McCarthy, K Grennan, M O’Riordan, I McCarthy, J Boland, T Ryan, R Dooley.
Replacements: D Higgins for Boland (56).
Referee: P Roche (M.A.R).<
© This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Thursday, March 01, 2012
