The increasing influence of full back David O'Reilly and centre Brian McLoughlin helped bring Belvedere safely through a hectic Leinster Schools' Junior Cup quarterfinal at Donnybrook yesterday.
It was the size and power of After picking up the momentum from the start,
McLoughlin set up Belvedere's opening try on five minutes with a sweeping run and inside pass to outhalf Brian Kennedy. Patrick Hobbs did an excellent job with the conversion and even at that point Wesley were being forced into a game of catch-up.
Through their impressive flanker Oluseye Ashiru, they came up with a response 10 minutes later as he took the ball from the back of a 20-yard scrum and scrambled over for the try. However, Belvedere regained control just two minutes later. McLoughlin chased a clearance kick, it bounced favourably into his hands and he scored.
David Woolmington added an important penalty to Wesley's total, but they suffered another blow at the worst possible moment when McLoughlin set up an O'Reilly try and conversion right on half-time to leave them 21-8 in front.
Wesley fought hard for a comeback in the second half but as O'Reilly fired over another penalty they were running out of time. Then, five minutes from the end, winger Ian Flynn did exceptionally well to reach the line. Another confident conversion from O'Reilly wrapped it up. Mervyn Travers scored a final try three minutes into injury time.
BELVEDERE: D O'Reilly (try, 2 cons, pen); G Murphy, P Hobbs (2 cons), B McLoughlin (try), I Flynn (try); J Kennedy (try), M Broe; E O'Meara, P McGuire, J Leech, B McArdle, M Travers (try), R O'Donnell, R Leyden, D O'Brien (capt). Replacements: M Hayes for Leech, P Campbell for Leyden (52 mins), O Lambe for McLoughlin and K Lally for O'Donnell (60 mins).
WESLEY: P McGuire; D Heelan, D Hill, P Margetson, C Sargent; M Smith, D Woolmington (capt, pen); O Callaibet, D O'Connor, A Elanwer, D Patterson, A England, C Wallace, O Ashiru (try), J Musgrave. Replacements: J Spendlove for McGuire (40 mins).
Referee: T Redmond (ARLB).
