Gorey booked their place in the Leinster Premier Final after a fantastic second half comeback to defeat Dundalk in Clonattin.
Playing into a strong wind in the first half, Gorey were under pressure for long spells. From the kick-off, Sean Leuw did well to regain possession and Gorey put together a few early phases. Their early pressure paid off when Gorey were awarded a penalty inside the first five minutes, with Rory Cooper calmly slotting it over to give Gorey a 3–0 lead.
Dundalk responded well however. Their out-half produced an excellent kicking display, repeatedly turning Gorey with kicks into the corners. With a powerful forward pack securing possession, Dundalk executed their game plan perfectly — kicking to the corner, winning the lineout and driving over from close range. The visitors scored three almost identical tries during the half.
Despite two yellow cards forcing Gorey to play spells a man down, they stayed in the contest with another Cooper penalty to leave the halftime score 6–19. With the wind and scoreboard against them, it was a mountain to climb for the Gorey men.
The second half saw a determined Gorey side come out with real intent. Looking to move the ball quickly, Gorey aimed to stretch the Dundalk pack around the field. The tactic paid off as the backs began to find space, particularly in the five-metre channels through strong carries from Daithi Robinson and Henry Darcy.
Gorey struck early in the second half when Henry Darcy powered over the line after just five minutes, bringing the score back to 11–19 and giving the home side real momentum.
With their tails up, Gorey forced Dundalk into mistakes and continued to build pressure. Rory Cooper added another penalty midway through the half to narrow the gap to 14–19.
The comeback was truly on when a slick move through the backline saw George Murphy race down the wing to score, levelling the match at 19–19 with nine minutes remaining. The conversion drifted wide, leaving everything to play for.
Gorey kept the pressure on and Dundalk began to concede penalties under the relentless attacking play. Rory Cooper held his nerve to slot three crucial penalties in the closing stages, pushing Gorey ahead 28–19.
With the clock running down, the Gorey defence stood strong to see out a brilliant comeback victory and secure their place in the Leinster Premier Final.
🏉 Next up: The Leinster Premier Final next Sunday against Tullow in Athy.
An incredible effort from the entire squad — best of luck to the lads in the final! ❤️🏉
#GoreyRFC #LeinsterRugby #LeinsterPremierFinal #U18Rugby #SemiFinalWin #ComebackKings #ClubRugby #RoadToTheFinal ❤️🏉
Playing into a strong wind in the first half, Gorey were under pressure for long spells. From the kick-off, Sean Leuw did well to regain possession and Gorey put together a few early phases. Their early pressure paid off when Gorey were awarded a penalty inside the first five minutes, with Rory Cooper calmly slotting it over to give Gorey a 3–0 lead.
Dundalk responded well however. Their out-half produced an excellent kicking display, repeatedly turning Gorey with kicks into the corners. With a powerful forward pack securing possession, Dundalk executed their game plan perfectly — kicking to the corner, winning the lineout and driving over from close range. The visitors scored three almost identical tries during the half.
Despite two yellow cards forcing Gorey to play spells a man down, they stayed in the contest with another Cooper penalty to leave the halftime score 6–19. With the wind and scoreboard against them, it was a mountain to climb for the Gorey men.
The second half saw a determined Gorey side come out with real intent. Looking to move the ball quickly, Gorey aimed to stretch the Dundalk pack around the field. The tactic paid off as the backs began to find space, particularly in the five-metre channels through strong carries from Daithi Robinson and Henry Darcy.
Gorey struck early in the second half when Henry Darcy powered over the line after just five minutes, bringing the score back to 11–19 and giving the home side real momentum.
With their tails up, Gorey forced Dundalk into mistakes and continued to build pressure. Rory Cooper added another penalty midway through the half to narrow the gap to 14–19.
The comeback was truly on when a slick move through the backline saw George Murphy race down the wing to score, levelling the match at 19–19 with nine minutes remaining. The conversion drifted wide, leaving everything to play for.
Gorey kept the pressure on and Dundalk began to concede penalties under the relentless attacking play. Rory Cooper held his nerve to slot three crucial penalties in the closing stages, pushing Gorey ahead 28–19.
With the clock running down, the Gorey defence stood strong to see out a brilliant comeback victory and secure their place in the Leinster Premier Final.
🏉 Next up: The Leinster Premier Final next Sunday against Tullow in Athy.
An incredible effort from the entire squad — best of luck to the lads in the final! ❤️🏉
#GoreyRFC #LeinsterRugby #LeinsterPremierFinal #U18Rugby #SemiFinalWin #ComebackKings #ClubRugby #RoadToTheFinal ❤️🏉
