Gonzaga College 33
Newbridge College 31
Daire Walsh reports from Energia Park
GONZAGA COLLEGE WITHSTOOD a spirited fightback from Newbridge College at Energia Park this afternoon to book their spot in the Leinster Schools Senior Cup final.
33-14 in front with 45 minutes gone on the clock, the south Dubliners conceded three tries in the closing stages of the contest before eventually securing a place in the competition’s showpiece.
After a pass from Tadhg Brophy released Paddy Taylor through a defensive gap, he picked out his centre partner Ciaran Mangan for Newbridge’s deadlock-breaking try on the stroke of 10 minutes.
Taylor was on hand to supply the extras, but the Kildare school’s lead proved to be short-lived. Intercepting a loose pass by opposition out-half Paddy Martin, Gonzaga’s Aidan O’Flanagan raced away unopposed for a five-pointer that was supplemented by a Stephen McMahon conversion.
Newbridge reinforced their authority just shy of the first-quarter mark when fullback Todd Lawlor weaved his way through for another converted score, but it was Gonzaga who held the initiative at the break.
Adding to a try from their powerful number eight Paul Wilson – an All-Ireland Minor Football Championship winner with Meath in 2021 – hooker Luke McLaughlin also touched down in stoppage-time to propel Gonzaga into a 21-14 interval cushion.
The Metropolitan outfit carried this momentum into the second half and looked set for a convincing win when Hugo and Luke McLaughlin crossed over either side of Newbridge loosehead John R Walsh being issued with a yellow card in the 43rd-minute.
Yet Lawlor’s neat finish at the start of the final quarter for his second try of the game offered Newbridge renewed hope and the prospect of a dramatic comeback loomed large when Taylor and lock Shane Davitt also touched down inside the closing 10 minutes.
Taylor’s conversion to the latter score cut the gap to just two points, but an under-siege Gonzaga ultimately held out to advance into the senior decider for the second year in succession.
Gonzaga College Scorers:
Tries: Luke McLaughlin 2, Aidan O’Flanagan, Paul Wilson, Hugo McLaughlin
Conversions: Stephen McMahon [4 from 5]
Newbridge College Scorers:
Tries: Todd Lawlor 2, Ciaran Mangan, Paddy Taylor, Shane Davitt
Conversions: Paddy Taylor [3 from 5]
Penalties: Paddy Taylor [0 from 1]
GONZAGA COLLEGE: Hugo McLaughlin; JP Breslin, Aidan O’Flanagan, Jody Browne, Mikey Wall; Stephen McMahon, Tom Brophy (James O’Dwyer ’59); Finn O’Neill, Luke McLaughlin, Adam McVerry (Jamie Shiel ’59); Jamie Kennedy, Tom Wyley; Charlie Kennedy, Gavin O’Grady (Jack Kelly ’59), Paul Wilson.
NEWBRIDGE COLLEGE: Todd Lawlor; Rory Allen (Hugo Owens ’45), Ciaran Mangan, Paddy Taylor, Adam Larkin Smithers; Paddy Martin (Daniel Connolly ’45), Tadhg Brophy; John R Walsh (Charlie O’Loughlin ’68), Mark Masterson (Josh Montgomery ’68), Billy Bohan; Shane Davitt, Shane Treacy; John Sheedy (Sam O’Loughlin ’28-35’), Ronan McGroary (Daniel Cox ’41), Ruairi Munnelly.
Referee: Andrew Cole