Ashbourne produce shock in Towns' Cup

Located a short distance away from the Curragh racecourse the home of Cill Dara RFC was the stage for one of Ashbourne's most dramatic wins in their history when they pipped their hosts at the post on Sunday. Going into the closing stages of this Provincial Towns' Cup quarter-final all the indications were that the Meath side were on their way out. With three minutes of added time played and literally seconds remaining the game appeared to have slipped from Ashbourne's grasp. They trailed 9-10 with Cill Dara in the ascendancy. Then fortune smiled on the visitors. Cill Dara infringed at a ruck about six metres inside their own half and close to the right touchline. Up stepped Ashbourne out-half Paul Morris, who has a powerful punt especially when he gets the right connection. Yet even for him this was a big test. He composed himself, stepped up to take the kick and hit the ball on the meat guiding it with the necessary power and direction between the posts. Cue the final whistle and a joyous invasion by Ashbourne supporters, officials, substitutes, all converging on Morris. He had saved the day for Ashbourne in the most dramatic fashion. Cill Dara, who had already won the league title, were crestfallen that they had lost a game they looked destined to win. Ashbourne were overjoyed, their Houdini-like escape act all the sweeter because it looked so improbable. Morris was the hero at the end but throughout this bruising affair the winners had heroic performances all over the pitch. Ashbourne may have received a slice of fortune in getting that penalty yet the main reason for the victory was a huge performance in terms of spirit, skill, steel and tenacity. You could also add in courage and a large dollop of conviction. Time after time players in black and amber got in game-saving tackles as the red-clad Cill Dara exerted pressure for lenghty spells of the afternoon. Every Ashbourne player seemed to get his quota of big hits particularly the members of the pack with the front-row of Frank Keegan, Rory Gleeson and Ciaran Roche leading the charge. Another player never far from the action was the indomitable Jeff Mahon who shipped a heavy blow early on but recovered well. The game may have ended on a joyous note for the Milltown club. It certainly didn't start like that for them. After just five minutes Mark Rooney had to leave the action with a back injury. With just 14 minutes on the clock his brother James Rooney received a red card after an alteration with a Cill Dara player who had to receive treatment for a bloodied nose. Ashbourne dug in and refused to be daunted. The opening half was almost completely dominated by the breeze-assisted home side who swung the ball out wide at every opportunity as they tried to take full advantage of any gaps in the under-manned Ashbourne defence. They didn't find many and ironically the closest they came to getting a try in the opening half was when Ashbourne had their full quota of players. Cill Dara's big number eight Eamonn Hyland barrelled his way through the Ashbourne midfield. He was close to the tryline when Morris to put in a last-ditch tackle and prevented him from getting a touchdown. That was the first of Morris's major contributions to this game. The second came just before the interval when Ashbourne launched one of their rare attacks and won a penalty about 30 metres out. Morris indicated what was to come when he hit the ball with real power and it sailed between the posts. Shortly afterwards the half-time whistle blew and unbelievably, despite all the pressure they had absorbed, it was the visitors who went in at the break 3-0 up. Not that the lead lasted long. The second-half had only got underway when Cill Dara did what they had been promising for so long and swept through for a try. They put phase after phase together before their full-back Barry Flanagan found a rare chink in Ashbourne's defensive wall. Paddy Behan converted. Behan had missed a couple of first-half penalties from kickable positions however he found his range in the second-half tagging on that conversion and a penalty to put his side in what looked like a winning position. Morris kept Ashbourne in the hunt with two more penalties. He also missed from another penalty just inside the Cill Dara half and out on the right. From a very similar position he was to score the dramatic winner in the dying seconds despatching his shot with far more conviction, doing the business when it mattered most. Despite having to play most of the game a man down the Ashbourne scrum held up remarkably well against hefty opponents and at one stage near the end they even got a push on. There were other incidents during the afternoon when Ashbourne players showed real drive and determination. Midway through the opening half Cill Dara broke from defence and only the pace and alertness of Ashbourne wing Joe Taylor prevented a try. At times in the second-half Ashbourne moved the ball around, phase after phase without much reward. It looked like it was going to be a frustrating day for them. Then they were awarded that last-gasp penalty. Morris did the rest. Ashbourne - D Colreavy, C Field, C Coyle, P Swanipoel, J Taylor, P Morris, G Kennedy; F Keegan, R Gleeson, C Roche, D Curran, M Biesbrouck, M Rooney, J Rooney, J Mahon. Subs - D Grimes for M Rooney 5 mins, K Bolster for Field 23m, A Wall for Roche 65m. Cill Dara - B Flanagan, T Cleary, G Burns, P Behan, R Healy, J Ryan, B Behan; L O'Grady, G Moore, B White, C Moore, D Broughall, B Ennis, G de Brun, E Hyland. Sub - M Watters for B Behan 35 mins. Referee - Daniel Wallace (Leinster Branch).