Garryowen pip Lansdowne with last gasp finish
Saturday, 9 December 2006 21:11Garryowen scraped past Lansdowne with Munster's Eoghan Hickey booting a crucial injury-time penalty in a 16-15 win at Dooradoyle.
Lansdowne outscored their hosts by two tries to one but an Alan Kingsley drop goal and Hickey's late winner saw Paul Cunningham's side grab their third successive win.
Leinster's Niall Ronan managed to score a block down try after 33 minutes, but Argentinean centre Federico Quaglia was the unlikely scorer when Garryowen mauled over the try line in injury-time.
Lansdowne overhauled a 10-7 half-time deficit with an eight-point salvo from full-back Robbie Dolan, including a 55th-minute try, but Cunningham's charges fought back strongly.
Conor Kilroy booted a first quarter penalty for Garryowen as the league leaders began well, but seven minutes short of the break, Ronan charged through to score. After reaching high for the block Ronan showed a good turn of pace to touch down, with Dolan adding the extra two points.
A real 'team effort' of a lineout saw the 31-year-old Quaglia, who played previously for GRAN Parma, ground Garryowen's only try, two minutes into injury-time.
Both Quaglia and Lansdowne scrum half Shane Whelan saw yellow in the second half, in separate incidents, but those sin-binnings did little to disrupt either side.
Dolan, Lansdowne's top scorer before kick-off with 39 points in five games, helped the headquarters club take the lead when he showed good leg strength to break through a tackle and dart over for an unconverted score.
The same player added a drop goal on 63 minutes, which Kingsley replied to with a drop of his own, eight minutes from time.
Just when time seemed to be running out on the Limerick men, they worked a lineout, drew a penalty from the visitors and Hickey held his nerve to ping over the decisive kick.
Scorers:
Garryowen: Try: Federico Quaglia; Con: Conor Kilroy; Pens: Kilroy, Eoghan Hickey; Drop: Alan Kingsley
Lansdowne: Tries: Niall Ronan, Robbie Dolan; Con: Dolan; Drop: Dolan
