AIB Cup: FT: Cork Con 37 St. Mary’s 12

…Cronan Healy dives over for one of his four tries in Saturday’s AIB Cup decider at Lansdowne Road…

Winger Cronan Healy cut loose at Lansdowne Road as he scored four of Cork Constitution’s five tries in their AIB Cup final triumph over St. Mary’s College.

2005/06 AIB CUP FINAL: Saturday, April 8

CORK CONSTITUTION 37 ST. MARY’S COLLEGE 12, Lansdowne Road

Scorers: Cork Con: Tries: Cronan Healy 4, Anthony Horgan; Cons: Darragh Lyons 3; Pen: Lyons; Drop: Lyons

St. Mary’s: Tries: Ciaran Potts, Keith Douglas; Con: Barry Lynn

Full-time: Cork Con 37 St. Mary’s 12. A deserved win for Con, who were the better side on the day. The success ties in neatly with the Temple Hill club’s win in the first ever AIB All-Ireland League back in 1991. Brian Walsh’s Con side celebrate with the inaugural AIB Cup trophy in the middle of the pitch as an eventful afternoon of rugby comes to a close.

Spare a thought for Mary’s though, who were losing their second cup final in the space of six days. Clontarf beat them in last Sunday’s Leddin Finance Leinster Senior Cup final at the RDS.

80+3 mins – Tempers flare in the closing minutes as hookers Des Murray and Peter Smyth are given a talking to by referee George Clancy. Con are awarded a penalty which Lyons kicks to touch and the final whistle is blown.

77 mins – Without much doubt, Cronan Healy is named as an emphatic AIB man-of-the-match.

69 mins – A lightning move sees Cronan Healy incredibly get in for his fourth try! Flying full-back Richard Lane came into the line at just the right time, he kicked ahead and the on-fire Healy won the race to the touch down. Brilliant stuff from Con’s back, and Mary’s have no answer. Darragh Lyons converts. Cork Con 37 St. Mary’s 12.

65 mins – Just when it seems that the game is slipping away from the Dubliners, centre Keith Douglas breaks through the cover for Mary’s second try. Unfortunately, having missed a penalty shot in the second half, Barry Lynn skews the conversion attempt wide. Cork Con 30 St. Mary’s 12.

58 mins – Con are bossing matters up front with captain and number eight Frank Cogan to the fore. Another good attack yields a penalty for Darragh Lyons, which he duly dispatches. Cork Con 30 St. Mary’s 7.

54 mins – It’s fast becoming the Cronan Healy show as the balding wide man gets in for his third try and Con’s fourth. Darragh Lyons converts from close in. Cork Con 27 St. Mary’s 7.

Second half: 44 mins – Anthony Horgan gets over for Con’s third try and an ideal start to the second half for the Leesiders. Horgan touched down despite the presence of McWeeney. Lyons mised the conversion. Cork Con 20 St. Mary’s 7.

…Cork Con centre Tom Gleeson is tackled by Barry Lynn of St. Mary’s…

40+2 mins – Ireland Under-21 international Sexton takes a 40-metre penalty kick at the posts but his effort is short and the half draws to a close. Half-time: Cork Con 15 St. Mary’s 7

38 mins – Darragh Lyons jabs a quickly-taken drop goal over, off an upright. Cork Con 15 St. Mary’s 7.

36 mins – Mary’s, as well as losing back rows Copeland and Paul Nash to blood injuries, are down to 14 men as prop Cillian O’Byrne is sin-binned for a ruck infringement.

23 mins – Cronan Healy shows great power and pace as he races in for his and Con’s second try from 20 metres out. Lyons, this time, fails with the conversion. Cork Con 12 St. Mary’s 7.

18 mins – Mary’s back row replacement Ciaran Potts gets over for a quick try in reply. Kilbride linked well with Potts, who came on for the injured Adrian Copeland, in the build-up. With Sexton off for a head wound, Barry Lynn converts. Cork Con 7 St. Mary’s 7.

15 mins – Con gradually settle and they nab the first try through experienced winger Cronan Healy. A lineout move on the left saw the Leesiders make an initial incision before Munster’s Anthony Horgan took play on and Healy went over to the right of the posts. Out-half Darragh Lyons added the conversion. Cork Con 7 St. Mary’s 0.

9 mins – Mary’s break into the Con 22 with scrum half John Kilbride willing his players on. He spots a blindside run from captain and winger John McWeeney and the former Irish international takes play up to eight metres from the Con line before the move peters out.

7 mins – Mary’s full-back Frank Lynch tries an audacious drop goal attempt from the Con ten-metre line, but it tails away.

5 minutes – Mary’s out-half Jonathan Sexton has a lively opening. A good tackle on Con captain Frank Cogan the highlight.

Kick-off – The action gets underway with Mary’s, with the wind advantage, playing into the Lansdowne Road end.

Pre-Match – A minute’s silence is held in memory of Cork Constitution centre and vice-captain Conrad O’Sullivan, who died suddenly at his home on March 22 last.

Cork Constitution: Richard Lane; Anthony Horgan, Tom Gleeson, Conor Quaid, Cronan Healy; Darragh Lyons, Frank Murphy; Mike Ross, Des Murray, Tom Ryan, Shane Cottrell, Johnny Maloney, Brendan Cutriss, Merle O’Connell, Frank Cogan (capt).

Replacements: Brendan O’Connor, JJ Cahill, Jody Danaher, Landy Hill, Andrew O’Brien, Diarmuid O’Riordan, Alex Ryan.

St. Mary’s College: Frank Lynch; James Norton, Keith Douglas, Barry Lynn, John McWeeney (capt); Jonathan Sexton, John Kilbride; Cillian O’Byrne, Peter Smyth, Paul Collins, Eoin Keane, Gareth Logan, Willie Duggan, Paul Nash, Adrian Copeland.

Replacements (from): Simon Gibney, Rob Smyth, Rob Gannon, Mark McHugh, Philip Brophy, Ollie McCormack, Matt Duggan, Brian Moran, Ciaran Potts, Hendrick Gervais.

Sin Bin: C O’Byrne (Mary’s) (36 mins)

Referee: George Clancy (Munster)