Presentation Brothers College 19
Bandon Grammar School 18

Andrew Horgan reports from Musgrave Park 

PRESENTATION BROTHERS COLLEGE are through to the final of the Clayton Hotels Munster Schools Senior Cup as they narrowly defeated Bandon Grammar School 19-18 at Musgrave Park this afternoon.

Alex Kendellen’s try in the last minute followed by Louis Bruce’s nerveless conversion was enough to see Pres emerge victorious from this enthralling semi-final and set up a meeting with fellow 29-time winners of the cup, Christian Brothers College in the showpiece occasion. 

PBC started the match the better team and shortly after captain Louis Bruce missed a difficult penalty against the wind, they opened the scoring thanks to a Peter Cunningham try.

Mark McLoughlin’s clever lay-off allowed Cunningham to break clear of his markers and touch down before Bruce recovered from his earlier miss by kicking the conversion.

That seemed to spark BGS into life and they reduced the deficit, just shy of the quarter of an hour mark, as captain Jack Crowley split the uprights with an excellent penalty, 7-3.

Bandon were now on top but it took them until late in the first half to finally break Pres’ resistance as Soren Minihane charged through the heart of their defence before finishing in the corner.

The wind continued to cause havoc as Jack Crowley failed with his conversion attempt with the ball slightly shifting in position just before he hit it ensuring they only led by the minimum at the half time break, 7-8.

Louis Bruce kicks a conversion for PBC. Oisin Keniry / INPHO Oisin Keniry / INPHO / INPHO

The second half was a much more entertaining affair with Crowley scoring an early penalty for Bandon before substitute Michael Hand scored an unconverted try for Pres to edge them in front, 12-11.

Bandon thought they had won it late on when Conor Heaney scored a try and Crowley again converted but it wasn’t to be their day as Kendellen and Bruce’s last-gasp heroics send Pres to the final.

Scorers for Presentation Brothers College:

Try: Peter Cunningham, Michael Hand and Alex Kendellen.

Cons: Louis Bruce (2 from 3).

Pens: Louis Bruce (0 from 1).

Bandon Grammar School:

Try: Soren Minihane and Conor Heaney.

Cons: Jack Crowley (1 from 2).

Pens: Jack Crowley (2 from 2)

Presentation Brothers College: Mark McLoughlin, Daniel Squires, Peter Cunningham, Sean Henry Squires, Darragh French, Louis Bruce, Joe O’Leary, Rory Duggan, Darragh Murphy, Darragh McSweeney, David McCarthy, Eoin Quilter, Jack Kelleher, John Forde, Alex Kendellen.

Replacements used: Michael Hand, James O’Shaughnessy and Mark Fitzgibbon.

Bandon Grammar School: Soren Minihane, Tom Beare, Joshua Dalton, Bruce Matthews, Harry Hall, Jack Crowley, Ciaran Roberts, David Ogden, Michael Archer, Conor Heaney, Joshua Brady, Moses Lynn, Jason Connolly, John Beamish, Niall Beamish.

Replacements used: Alex O’Connor, Nick Greene and Rowan Palmer.

Referee: Eoghan Cross (MAR).