Young guns step up to the plate for Greystones
KEHOE CUP AND LEINSTER SENIOR LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL
GREYSTONES RFC OLD WESLEY 17 15
TWO moments of individual brilliance by home favourite Jack Keating proved the difference as Greystones defeated Old Wesley in the semi-final of the Leinster Senior League Division 2, played in front a large festive crowd at Dr Hickey Park recently.
With the All Ireland League season proving to be gruelling and attritional, both coaches fielded much changed starting line ups with Kevin Lewis choosing to rest some of his more experienced campaigners such as Bobby Clancy, Robin O’Sullivan and Andrew Kealy and promoted no fewer than six of the under-20s to the match day squad to give them a taste of first team rugby and they didn’t disappoint.
Nick Quirke, a starter at full back looked assured and composed all evening and when the pressure came on from the Division 1B side pushing for a winning score late on the Greystones youngsters stood firm with Mark Smith and Conor Byrne prominent in a rear guard action.
Keating opened the scoring after ten minutes following a preplanned move from a line out on the half way. Hooker Ben Tou threw the ball long and the on-running Paudie Geoghegan gathered in the middle of the field breaking through the Wesley defence. He fed the ball to Keating who’s arced run towards the right corner left the defenders grasping at shadows as he left them all in his wake. Paudie Geoghegan took on the kicking responsibilities for the evening converting a wonderful strike from the touchline for a 7–0 lead.
The possession stats leaned heavily in the visitors favour but the Greystones defence was resolute throughout.
Long periods of pressure brought little reward and to get something on the board Wesley opted to kick a penalty in front of the posts to leave the score 7 – 3 at half time.
Paudie Geoghegan restored the seven point advantage early in the second half with a well taken penalty after Wesley were penalised in the scrum but Greystones task of holding out their more experienced opponents took on a greater challenge when prop Conor Pearse was adjudged to have lifted a player illegally when putting in a strong tackle and received ten minutes in the sin bin.
With the home sides pack down a man, Wesley turned the screw and forced a series of five-meter scrums resulting in a penalty try awarded after repeated collapses.
As the second half played on, Greystones made a number of changes, introducing many of the under-20s but also had the opportunity to welcome back Killian Marmion following a spell in Canada who used his experience to guide some of the young talent around him.
Indeed, the game finished with three Marmion brothers on the field with starter Eoin joined by young brother Shane and Killian.
With the sides level Wesley increased the pressure and looked sure to break the home sides resilience when flanker Mark Robinson picked a ball from the base of a ruck spotting a gap through the middle to race in from the 22 to touch down. The conversion was missed leaving the score 15-10 in the visitors favour. Wesley continued to apply all the pressure and looked to have extended their lead when they broke down the left wing but the final pass for the touch down was called forward by the referee and Greystones cleared.
The game was won with ten minutes to play when Keating gathered a clearance on his own 22 and set off on a mazy run through the heart of the Wesley team and kept going side stepping one tackle, fending off another and leaving the chasers in his wake to cross left of the posts. The conversion was no formality but Geoghegan made it look that way as he confidently slotted over for a two point advantage.
Wesley laid siege on the Greystones line and the home side were again down to 14 men when replacement prop Cian Maguire was also adjudged to have lifted a player illegally in the tackle and was yellow carded for a tip tackle.
With the clock showing 80 minutes played, Wesley tried everything to get the winning score. A desperate attempt at a drop goal was heroically blocked and a pick and drive from the resulting scrum looked to have secured the winning try but Conor Pearse, putting in another huge tackle dislodged the ball and the referee called a knock on much to the visiting supporters dismay.
Greystones had to play for another nerve jangling two minutes before the referee signalled to scrum half Andy Roberts that time as up and he gleefully kicked the ball dead for a deserved victory.
Kevin Lewis was delighted after the match, not only with the win and a place in the final of the competition but also with the performance of the young talent introduced in to the game. With the second half of the All Ireland League to be played out in the new year he knows he has players ready to take the step up if called upon.
The league campaign resumes on January 6 with the visit of Blackrock for an eagerly anticipated encounter that is sure to attract another big crowd to Dr Hickey Park.
Nicholas Quirk, Ferdia Kenny, Jack Keating, Michael Kirk, Padraig Geoghegan, Jason Curran, Andy Roberts, Michael Doyle, Eoin Marmion, Chris Simmonds, Barry Fitzpatrick, Michael Douglas, Conor Pearse, Ben Tou, Gar Connolly
Replacements: Patrick Nixon, Cian Maguire, Scott Cauldwell, Killian Marmion, Mark Smith, Shane Marmion.