Garryowen claim 39th Munster Senior Cup final success

CLINICAL Garryowen claimed their first Bank of Ireland Munster Senior Cup title in six years and 39th in all when easing past local rivals UL-Bohemian 18-3 at the Markets Field on Friday night.

Tries in either half from Hugh O’Brien-Cunningham and full-back Andrew O’Byrne helped Garryowen overpower the Annacotty side who were seeking their first Munster Senior Cup title in 56 years.

Friday night’s final was only the second ever meeting between the Limerick clubs in the Munster Senior Cup final, the only previous decider between the sides in 1926 also ended in victory for the ‘Light Blues’.

Garryowen have proved deserving winners of the Cup having beaten Ulster Bank League Division 1A sides Young Munster and Cork Con, who were bidding to make it six-in-a-row in the competition this season on route to the final.

Garryowen went in front with a well-worked try on 16 minutes when out-half Jamie Gavin found winger Liam Coombes with a pinpoint crossfield kick.

Coombes beat a would-be tackler, before slipping the ball inside to Hugh O'Brien-Cunningham who scampered over.

Captain Neil Cronin duly converted for a 7-0 lead for the 'Light Blues'.

UL-Bohs got right back in the game before half-time when Robbie Burke landed a penalty goal to reduce the Dooradoyle side’s lead to 7-3.

However, helped by a significant impact from their replacements’ bench, Garryowen took control of the final in the closing quarter with Cronin adding a penalty goal and full-back O’Byrne darting over for a 73rd minute try which the scrum-half converted.

SCORERS: Garryowen: Hugh O’Brien-Cunningham, Andrew O’Byrne try each, Neil Cronin two pens, con. UL-Bohemian: Robbie Burke pen.

GARRYOWEN: Andrew O'Byrne; Liam Coombes, Hugh O'Brien-Cunningham, Peter Collins, James McInerney; Jamie Gavin, Neil Cronin; Andrew Keating, Liam Cronin, Janathan Phelan, Timothy Ferguson. Dean Moore; Darren Ryan, Mikey Wilson, Mark Rowley. Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Niall Horan, Sean Rennison, David McCarthy, Aaron Leonard-Rice, Aaron McCloskey, JackDaly.

UL-BOHEMIAN: James McCarthy; Jamie McNamara, Adrian Enright, Henry Flemming, Colin Ryan; Robbie Burke, Joe Murray; Mark Bromell, Joe Bennett, Michael Lynch, Daragh Frawley, Edward Kelly; James Ryan, Ian Condell, Noel Kinane. Replacements: David Rowsome, David O’Connor, Michael Mullally, Darragh O’Grady, Robert Hennessy, Sean English, Pauric Nesbitt.

RERFEE: Richard Horgan (IRFU)