Westport win Connacht Junior Cup

SEALED WITH A KISS Westport Bulls captain Chris Ryan kisses the Connacht Junior Rugby Cup after his side’s exciting victory over Creggs at the Sportsgrounds in Galway on Sunday last. Pic: Conor McKeown

Connacht Junior Cup Final
Westport 21
Creggs 19

Michael Gallagher
Galway

THE best Connacht Junior Cup final in living memory ended in fairytale fashion for Westport in The Sportsgrounds when a try and conversion in the final play of the day snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.
The Clew Bay men were five points down, 14-19, near the end of a hugely exciting final and it looked like Creggs were going to complete the league and cup double and win their first Junior Cup in 30 seasons.
But Westport had other ideas.
In the 87th minute they powered into the Creggs ’22 — roared on by a huge traveling support. The pack set the platform for glory and when the ball was let loose to the backline, it was teenage full-back Cormac Lyons who stretched over under the posts.
Moments later the excellent scrum-half Sam Walsh kicked the conversion and the final whistle unleashed scenes of wild Westport delight.
The Bulls had started the game brilliantly and were seven points clear after six minutes when out-half Stephen Loftus got over the line at the end of a great move off the line-out.
It was no more than Westport deserved and they looked good, but Creggs began to play their way into it.
They were rewarded in their first real attack of the game after 18 minutes when second-row Brian Donohue got over after a fine rolling maul.
The conversion followed, and when full-back Ronan Dowd got over for a try just before the interval Creggs were 12-7 clear at the break.
Westport began the second half brilliantly and Ross Bourke finished a fine team move after just two minutes; when Sam Walsh added the conversion from the touchline, the Bulls were in front 14-12.
They retained that lead for the majority of the half and could have extended it with Liam Scahill, Kevin Corcoran, Chris Ryan and the outstanding Conor Hastings to the fore.
However, the young, lively Creggs team hit back with a late sucker-punch that seemed to have won the Cup for the first time in three decades. Out-half Shane Purcell finished a flowing move brilliantly and then kicked his side five clear in the 79th minute.
It seemed all over at that stage but Westport refused to die.
Seven minutes into added time they went on one last foray upfield in search of a fairytale, and when the ball arrived in the hands of Cormac Lyons that never-ending story was about to be delivered.

WESTPORT
C Lyons, A Walsh, A Sheridan, R Convey, R Spellman, S Loftus, S Walsh; T Geraghty, R Bourke, B McLoughlin, E Dunning, C Ryan, T Prendergast, C Hastings, K Corcoran
Replacements; L Scahill, K Palamarczuk, A Masterson, D Glavey, C Dyra, J Gibbons, M Brady, D Hedley.

CREGGS
R Dowd, T Featherstone, D Gacquin, E Coyle, M Purcell, S Purcell, M Dowd; S Og Higgins, D Arnold, E Cahill, B Donohoe, A Leech, R Cahill, C Purcell, B Diffley
Replacements: T Farrell, L Kilcoyne, M Feeley, P Lohan, L Divilly, T Devine, B Heunes, M Brandon

Referee: M Fitzgerald