IN THEIR final away game of the season, Greystones started well and almost finished with a win, but with a couple of vital injuries just before the half time break, when they lost both fullback, Andrew Kealy and outhalf Barry Lynn, this cost them dearly at the end.

Stones couldn't have got off to a better start when from the kickoff No 6 Danny Kenny, in his first game of the season, tackled 'Nures second row William Collins who failed to release the ball and a penalty awarded on the 10 metre line which Lynn stroked over to get the first points of the afternoon.

Five minutes later and a clearance from Lynn thirty metres out from his line found a touch 12 metres from the home teams line but a poor throw from Terenures hooker Brian Blaney was stolen by Stones second row Dan McGettigan with a tap to his scrum half Ross Mackey who drove forward and when stopped, tight head prop Bobby Clancy picked up and drove for the line but was stopped short, however quick clearing out by his pack saw fellow prop Ben Diaper pick up and drive over the line for the try. From a narrow angle, Lynn was successful with his second kick of the day and Stones were now ten points in front.

From the kickoff, Stones were penalised and a penalty awarded thirty metres out with 'Nures outhalf David Mc Allister knocking it over to narrow the gap.

Another well orchastrasted attack up the right, saw wing Mark O'Neill brush aside his opposite number Andy Mitchell and Kealy for a try in the corner, the conversion just going narrowly wide. Nure scored their second try five minutes later with, again, a fine move with fullback Adam O' Loughlin touching down under the posts with McAllister getting the extras. Stones were now giving away to many penalties and fifteen minutes before half time they were punished with scrum half Ross Mackey received a yellow card when preventing the home team taking a tap penalty. McAllister then choose to go for the posts and duly succeeded in kicking it. Worse was to follow when almost on the stroke of half time with right wing Ian Denham crashing over for their third try of the day and although McAllister missed the kick.

The opening minute of the second half saw a marvellous drop goal from full back O'Loughlin followed by their fourth try from reserve hooker Kevin Mahoney. Now trailing by 18 points it seemed that there was no way back for Greystones.

But Greystones hit back. The first try came from Simon Malone who went in and touched down close in to the posts but a scuffed attempt from Frank Jones, now operating in place of the injured Lynn, saw a miss.

From the kickoff the ball was fielded by Clancy who unloaded to hooker Atonio Halanghu who made twenty metres before passing inside to Jones, three passes later Stones were just five metres short of the line when centre Aaron Higgs was stopped but with some marvellous cleaning out of Terenure defenders by Stones, it was fitting that the man who started it, Bobby Clancy, should finish it, with him getting the touchdown, however once again Jones was off target with the conversion. Three minutes from the finish, and now with their tails up and sensing that a win was now beckoning, saw them launch another fine attack which saw them go from their twenty-two to the Terenure ten metre line, they were stopped with the home team killing the ball and a penalty awarded.

Captain, Barry Holmes decided to go for the three point option and to his credit, Jones who had failed with two previous kicks, was calm and slotted it over to further narrow the gap to five points. However fate almost conspired, not helped by a silly penalty conceded on the Stones twenty two, to rob them of at least their hard won bonus point but remarkably from in front of the posts, the kick by centre Graham Coffey, was wide but with the final whistle blowing, ending the game,