Metro League Div 1 Play-Off Final: UCD J1 15-14 Lansdowne FC

Pete Herangi’s J1’s emulated their senior colleagues (winning the Leinster Senior Cup last week) by lifting another Leinster trophy at a dry (for once!) UCD Bowl.

Having topped the league table by a one point (55-54) the previous week it was also just a single point that separated the teams on Saturday.

The 15 first-half points (tries for Jamie Murphy and Lorcan Feighery and a penalty and a conversion for David Moran) were just enough for Collidge to claim the Cup as Lansdowne threw everything into a sustained second-half offensive. Although breached for tries in the 52^nd and 61^st minutes the Collidge defence stood firm particularly in the dying minutes (when the visitors looked likely to score) and held out for a famous victory and take the J1cup for the first time in 32 years (1987-88)

Many congratulations to Captain Jack Gardiner, Head Coach Pete Herangi assisted by Daragh Geraghty and Cormac Kavanagh.

Click here to see more photos courtesy of Dominic Coyle

UCD: 15 Jamie Murphy; 14 Harry Donnelly; 13 Colm Mulcahy; 12 Tim Costigan; 11 David Heavey; 10 David Moran; 9 Nick Peters; 1 Dan Coughlan; 2 Richie Bergin; 3 Evin Coyle; 4 John Fairley; 5 Jack Gardiner (Capt); 6 Dan O’Donovan; 7 Ben Murray; 8 Lorcan Feighery. Replacements: 16 Kevin White; 17 Robert Byrne; 18 Phil Crowe; 19 Tom Foley; 20 Steven Kilgallen.

Next match: v Blackrock (away) 15/03