Crescent College advanced to the Quarter Finals of the Munster Schools Senior Cup, holding on late in a high scoring encounter with Bandon Grammar.

A damp squib of an opening half was brought into life with plenty of tries added in a second half spell, with a late burst of scores for Crescent enough to see them face Ardscoil Ris in a Limerick derby.

Despite the best efforts of winger Conor Ryan who bagged a hattrick of tries and the boot of Symington it was not to be their day in the end as they fell just short.

Bandon started brightly quickly attacking the Limerick side’s defence, they pressurised them and eventually after phases and phases and going wide, winger Conor Ryan went over in the corner for the try, fly-half Peter Symington had a difficult kick from the side-line and his effort dragged wide.

Last year’s winners behind early now looked to start a charge to come back into the game, they had possession and worked well to get up the other end, a strong maul got them shy and a drive by Fionn Casserly got them over the line, Eoin O’Callaghan stepped up to make the conversion but it narrowly went right and wide.

O’Callaghan would land a penalty in the dying embers of the opening half to put Crescent ahead, but deep in added time Symington stepped up to land a close range kick to level matters at the break.

Immediately after the restart the game sparked into life again, Cillian Kelly caught the restart and the big number 8 charged clear evading tackles and getting over for their second try, a beautiful conversion by O’Callaghan followed to restore their lead 15-8.

Bandon were far from out and minutes later drew level once more after a free flowing move they worked wide and Calem harte dotted over, Symington had a difficult kick to follow but he produced a beautiful strike to tie matters once more. 

The Limerick side would however take a foothold in the game as we ticked into the midway point, Marcus Lyons and Andrew Ahearne both getting over with O’Callaghan converting both as they moved 29-15 ahead.

Drama throughout the game but Bandon started a comeback and Conor Ryan finished off a great move after the hour mark and Symington did his job to make it 29-22 off the tee. But just minutes later substitute Conor Ryan, the Limerick one, managed to get over for Crescent and O’Callaghan converted to make it a 36-22 lead.

But time was not up and Ryan completed his hattrick late on, Symington nailed the kick and after some afters they had a penalty on half way to go again at a late score, in the end a knock on saw the referee blow the whistle to end proceedings wit Crescent holding on.