Turner leads charge as ’Rock blaze trail to decider

SO it’s another RDS St Patrick’s weekend final for Blackrock as they took this Donnybrook semi-final pulling up.

It was Blackrock’s most complete performance of the competition to date as talented skipper Liam Turner chose the penultimate stage to cut loose and where he went the rest followed.

From a St Mary’s perspective, it was a most disappointing end to a tournament that had promised so much. In an error-strewn performance, they were guilty of far too many handling errors to have had any chance of testing a ’Rock side effectively in control from first whistle to last.

Just six minutes in and Liam McMahon crossed for the opening try following good approach work from Ed Brennan, Louis O’Reilly and Stephen Madigan. James Tarrant added a penalty before a try-saving tackle from the everalert Madigan prevented Eoin Carey from crossing in the corner for the perfect riposte.

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But within minutes full-back Ruairi Shields, with a beautifully struck penalty from wide on the left, posted Mary’s first points. Alas, it f lattered as in a four-minute spell the speedy Harry Donnelly crossed for two match-turning tries.

The first was created by Tarrant and Turner in opening up the gap for left wing Donnelly to steam through from the blind. Tarrant added the extras and then repeated the dose when Donnelly charged down a loose Sean Bourke kick to race in from halfway for his second and ’Rock’s third try.

At 22-3, it was vital St Mary’s scored next but right on the interval McMahon finished the game as a contest with his second touchdown following another cutting break from Turner. With a 27-3 lead at the break and four tries between both wings, this was like the free-running days of old.

McMahon almost crossed for his hat-trick but for a superb last-ditch tackle by Mary’s skipper Harry McSweeney on the restart. Madigan then added a penalty before a reverse pass of sublime skill from Turner put prop Thomas Clarkson in under the posts. Madigan converted and at 37-3 on the hour it was done and dusted.

Mary’s never gave up and tries by Joe Nolan and Hugo Conway with a conversion by Shields provided a touch of respectability before ‘Rock replacement centre Gavin James completed the scoring with a final touchdown in the 68th minute.

BLACKROCK – S Madigan; L McMahon, L Turner (capt), T Maher (G Jones 48), H Donnelly; J Tarrant (R Madigan 51), L O’Reilly; D Mescal (C Duffy 48), S Molony (L Mion 51), T Clarkson (D Foley 51); S O’Brien, J Stapleton; J Dixon, M McGagh, E Brennan (J Loscher 48).

ST MARY’S – R Shields; H Conway, B McDonnell, T McMahon, E Carey; S Bourke (P Masterson 50), A McEvoy (E Franklin 50) ; S O’Reilly (E Massey 50), G O’Brien (C Walsh 66), C McElearney (E Power 66); S Heeran, I Wickham (E Byrne 66); O Byrne (J Nolan 45), H McSweeney (capt) and N Hurley.

REF – D Blake (ARLB)