AN opportunist 60th minute try from Blackrock left wing Ken Copeland, converted by full-back Paddy O Toole, proved the crucial score in this AIL Division One bottom-of-the-table clash at the Oak Park yesterday.

The only scores of the first half were an exchange of penalties between Carlow's Greg Jacob and Blackrock's Keelan McGowan.

Carlow looked to be heading for their first league win of the season when scrumhalf Robert Jones and Thomas Bonnefoy scored early second-half tries. But 'Rock fought back with a try from Eady Manawaite.

With Carlow leading 15-11, Blackrock centre Fionn Carr, blocked down an attempted clearance and the bounce of the ball favoured Carr, who set up Copeland for the try.

CO CARLOW B Murphy; R Barbour, T Bonnefoy, R Armstrong, R Jackson; G Jacob, R Jones; P Brennan, I O'Loughlin, K Corrigan, W Whitten, A Mahilovich, D Cox, R Porter, S Hennessy Subs C Moore for Jacob, 37 mins;
A Melville for Hennessy, 50 mins; W Kerr for O'Loughlin, 58 mins; S Gibbons for Jones, 70 mins

BLACKROCK COLLEGE P O Toole; A Pinto, F Carr, E Dennehy, K Copeland; K McGowan, R Molloy; S Byrne, D Gavin, M Cuffe, V Ryan, O Cullen, D Dillon, D Laffan, E Manawaite Subs A Henry for McGowan, 59 mins Referee D Phillips (Leinster)