DEFENDING Towns Cup champions Boyne are safely through to round three where they will host Enniscorthy next Sunday – but they were given an almighty scare down in Tullow last weekend. The Black Gates venue is a renowned ground for cup upsets and Tullow came close once again to upsetting the form book with a riveting display which nearly toppled the holders – two years after beating Boyne at the same ground.

Within three minutes the home team scored a magnificent try, when they tore into the Boyne forwards and moved their attack into the opposition half. From midfield they moved the ball wide and their right winger Patrick Walsh made great ground before releasing an inside pass to their openside wing forward John Roche, who crashed over to give his side the start they needed.

Boyne did recover from this early setback and their talisman full back Niall Kerbey should have settled their nerves with a penalty in the eighth minute. However, he was wide of the mark and this started a nighmare afternoon with the boot for the normally reliable kicker.

However, whilst Kerbey was having an off day the malaise also applied to the home side's place kicker, out half Willie Canavan, who matched Kerbey's inadequacies on the day.

Tullow were certainly in their usual cup fighting mood, but they conceded an unnecessary penalty which also involved a sin-binning midway through the first half.

A midfield break by Tullow saw Boyne penalised for a high tackle. However, the Tullow player retaliated and was sin-binned and the penalty was reversed.

Boyne went on the offensive following this and Tullow came under pressure on their '22'. Whilst they conceded a penalty for offside they were fortunate not to concede a try, with a deliberate knock-down preventing a five-pointer when Boyne moved the ball wide.

However, the original infringement was called and this time Kerbey kicked the resultant penalty from virtually in front of the posts.

From the drop out Tullow made a great catch and drove the Boyne pack into their own '22', forcing another penalty, but Tullow failed to take advantage from a very kickable angle and it remained 5-3 to the home side at the break.

The second half opened with play centered in midfield and Tullow tackling like demons, forcing Boyne into errors.

But the visitors did get the allimportant score when they seized an opportunity in the 50th minute to reverse defence into attack.

Tullow spilled the ball in midfield and the alert Boyne centre, Harry Kennedy picked up, broke free and set up his backline for winger Conor McGann to score.

Despite McGann running as close to the posts as he could, Kerbey missed with the conversion.

The remainder of the game was played out in dogged fashion. The nightmare scenario of place-kicking continued and it was Tullow who missed the opportunity to bring the match to extra time. Following more pressure on the Boyne rearguard and from a lineout, Boyne conceded a 25metre penalty, but Canavan inexplicably sent the kick wide of the posts.

Boyne finished the match in control of the last 10 minutes, during which time another Tullow player was sinbinned for unnecessary retaliation following a tackle which also saw the '22' drop-out to Tullow changed to a penalty for Boyne. Brian Collins the Boyne out half, took responsbilty for this kick and he also missed from 22 metres.

This act of foolishness by the Tullow player effectively ended the home side's challenge and the Boyne forwards controlled the remainder of normal time and the seven minutes of injury time. The long whistle came to a huge sigh of relief to the Boyne team and supporters.

Next up in the quarter-finals Enniscorthy on Sunday next Shamrock Lodge (3pm). BOYNE: Niall Kerbey; Conor McGann, Harry Kennedy, Bevan Duffy, Brian Howell; Brian Collins, Craig McGrath; Cillian Duffy (John Kinsella 65), Brendan Muldowney, Paddy Muldowney (James McKevitt 50); Conor Walsh, Paddy Muldowney; Ian O'Reilly (Declan Moore 67), Nico Vorster, Eoin Collins. Reps not used: Shane Campbell, Adam Sherrard. are

at John Speedy Heavey Cup final Pheasant Bar v Milestone (at Carranstown Lodge, Duleek). Royal Embroidery Ltd Div 3: Morning Star B v River House. Coast Tavern v Carranstown B, O'Neills B v O'Caseys, Railway Bar v Hanging Head, Slane House B v Sally B. Saturday March 20th Tom Grimes Cup final Punt Bar v O'Neills Tullyallen).