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Score: Cork Constitution FC 25 V 26 Young Munster
Venue: Clifford Park
Date: Sun 14th February 2010
Young Munster kicked a 91st minute winning penalty at Clifford Park to knock Constitution out of the Munster Junior Cup at the 4th round stage. It was a tough end for a vibrant young side who had come back from 6-10 at half time to lead 25-10 after 52 minutes. However, the superior physicality of the home side together with a depleted Con front five due to injuries gave the home side their opportunity and place kicker Ian Cross was unerring with three late penalties.
Constitution were dealt a double blow before the game with the withdrawal of both selected hookers. In the event they had to draw on the services of a number of the U20 XV who had a tough encounter the previous day against UCC. Despite that they had a reasonable first half. Ian Cross kicked a 2nd minute penalty which Michael Keyes equalised with a similar effort after 19 minutes. Young Munster scored a try in the 37th minute when a kick to the corner was not cleared and Cian Clohessy got the touchdown. Cross converted. From the kick off Con got a good field position and Keyes cut the deficit with a 42nd minute penalty.
Con had a blistering spell in the first quarter of the second half. First Ed Leamy went over for a try from a sustained attack on the Munster’s line after 45 minutes. Keyes converted.
In the 50th minute Rob Clune returned a loose mid field kick with a scything run through the home defence and set up Conor Desmond for a run in from 22 metres. Keyes again added the points. Two minutes later Tim Dukelow picked from a scrum at half way and beat the cover defence with a brilliant sprint to the line. The conversion attempt was just wide. But Con had established a 25-10 lead and were picking off any loose play by the home side.
Young Munster got a break in the 63rd minute when Clohessy pounced for his second try and Cross’s conversion and a penalty three minutes later closed the gap to just five points at 25-20. Then in the final five minutes of normal time, Con suffered a further injury blow when Gareth Murray and Alan Ross were both injured and had to leave the field. Young Munster continued to drive at the depleted Con pack, and while never threatening the try line, a penalty on 77 minutes gave the home side cause for belief, and as the referee continued to play added time, the inevitable happened with a penalty award in front of the posts in the 11th minute of injury time.
Scorers: E.Leamy 1T; C.Desmond 1T; T.Dukelow 1T; M.Keyes 2C2P.
Team: R.Clune; B.Newman, A.Ryan, C.Desmond, C.Jouve; M.Keyes, D.O’Driscoll; G.Murray (E.Quinn), M.O’Leary, P.Kelleher (C.Corkery); R.Gee, C.Fouhy (A.Ross); B.Cuttriss Capt., E.Leamy, T.Dukelow.
Referee: K.Murphy
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