CRESCENT College Comprehensive and Christian Brothers College (CBC) will replay their Munster Schools Senior Cup semi-final at Thomond Park this Thursday (kick-off 2pm).
The teams tied 15-apiece after an epic encounter at Musgrave Park last week, one in which Crescent’s Eoin O’Callaghan scored a very late try, which he also converted.
Crescent College Comprehensive are likely to run a famliar line-up: Jed O’Dwyer, Evan Cusack, Eoin O’Callaghan, Joe McEnery, Josh Boland, Ryan Godfrey, Marcus Lyons; Mark Fitzgerald, Conor Clery, Dennis O’Dwyer, Jack Somers, Sean Magee, Fionn Casserly, Andrew Ahearne, Cillian Kelly.
Replacements: Jonathan Byrne, Cathal Lanigan Ryan, Conor Ryan, Jordan Power, Charlie Fenton, Cormac Quinn, Michael O’Mara, Oscar Davey, Ben Gallagher, Evan Bennett.
Awaiting the winners are PBC, who defeated St Munchin’s College in the other semi-final.
SOCCER: WINLESS Treaty United have a novel Division One league tie with newcomers Kerry FC at a sold-out Mounthawk Park in Tralee on this Friday night (kick-off 7.45pm).
Treaty have lost both of their opening fixtures 1-0, against Bray Wanderers (home) and Galway United (away), and will be keen to address the situation quickly. New signing Andy Spain debuted for Tommy Barrett’s side at the weekend.
Billy Dennehy-managed Kerry were beaten 3-1 at Bray a few days’ ago, and lost their opener at home (0-2) to Cobh Ramblers.
Such is the attractiveness of this weekend’s fixture, all 1,150 tickets were snapped-up within an hour of becoming available.
Ballynanty Rovers are also in the Kingdom at the weekend, pencilled-in to face Killarney in the FAI Junior Cup on Saturday (5pm).
All four Lawson Cup quarter-finals are on Sunday morning (11am): Kilmallock v Regional United; Knockainey v Fairview Rangers; Mungret Regional v Geraldines; and Newport v Pike Rovers.
GAA: THERE was modest compensation for Bruff over losing the All-Ireland Junior Hurling Final to Sarsfields (Galway) at St Ita’s Park in Raheenagh when five of their players were included on the All-Star Team of the tournament.
Those shortlisted were Niall Brosnan, David Mulqueen, Oisín Mulqueen, Cian Madden (captain), and David Browne.
At the weekend, Bruff led 0-8 to 0-5 at the interval, but were eventually beaten 1-9 to 0-9. The Limerick and Munster champions were down a player for the closing half.
On Sunday next, Knockaderry hosts the Munster Junior ‘B’ Football Final between Kilgarvan of Kerry and Tipperary’s Kiruane MacDonaghs (2pm).
RUGBY: SHANNON have consigned their great rivals Garryowen to relegation from Division 1A of the AIL following a 26-16 derby victory at Dooradoyle.
Two closing penalties from out-half Mike Cooke secured an important result for Stephen Keogh’s side who are still threatened with a dreaded drop to 1B.
Shannon took an early lead with some superb interplay between backs and forwards ending with Dan Hurley scoring in the left corner.
Nonetheless, Cooke’s touchline conversion was followed by a ten-point spurt from Garryowen. A penalty opened Tony Butler’s account before hooker Michael Mbaud barged over for a converted try.
Mbaud’s opposite number, Jordan Prenderville, was driven over from a 30th-minute maul for his sixth try of the campaign, which was quickly followed by another Butler penalty.
Shannon, though, turned a 13-12 deficit into a 17-13 half-time lead, their ability to keep the ball alive rewarded with a late Alan Flannery try in the corner.
There were no further tries in the keenly-contested clash, Butler cancelling out one Cooke kick but the latter split the posts twice more to leave the young Light Blues outfit crestfallen.
RACING: ALAN Fitzpatrick of Bill Chawke’s public house in Adare will host a fundraising Cheltenham Preview in aid of the local Bord na nÓg this Friday (8pm), with guests to include trainer Eric McNamara of Beechmount Stables, retired Kilmallock jockey Kevin Power and Rathkeale hotelier Dave Mann, owner of Gold Cup entry The Real Whacker.
Also part of the panel will be pundits/entertainers Michael O’Connell, Ronnie O’Leary, and Johnny Looby, with Padraig Ryan as chairman.
In Naas last weekend, Newcastle West’s Gary Noonan placed 11th in the Spring Festival Trials, a few steps down from his win in the Punchestown Maiden Hurdle on Soldier Solid earlier in the week.
Photo: Patrick McCann/Racing Post
