CORK CONSTITUTION staged a stirring late comeback to blitz plucky Galwegians in an enthralling encounter at Temple Hill yesterday.

The westerners led 15-7 until the 72nd minute thanks to a brace of tries from John Cleary and the boot of Paddy O'Toole, but they came undone in the final minutes as scores from wingers Richie Lane and Cronan Healy kept the Leesiders at the top of the All Ireland League's Division One.

Underdogs Galwegians shocked the hosts with a wellworked try in the sixth minute. Anthony Barrett's clever run attracted two defenders, and Denis Hurley's slip allowed John Cleary the space to dot down in the corner, despite the attentions of Cronin Healy.

The score stung the home side into life, and they were denied a try in the 14th minute when Hurley ghosted through and looked certain to score, but he was tackled over the line and rather unfairly adjudged to have been held up.

The Munster Academy full-back made no mistake six minutes later, creating the space for Lane to touch down in the right corner. He converted his own score for a 7-5 lead, but Galwegians led at the break thanks to a straightforward penalty from O'Toole.

They struck what appeared to be a killer blow in the 45th minute, when Cleary came off his wing to barge over near the posts.

O'Toole converted to give Galwegians an eight-point advantage.

However, with the visitors' full-back Kieran Hickman in the sin bin, Con hit back in the 72nd minute through Healy, and Lane's touchline conversion crept over off the far upright to set up a grandstand finish.

The winning score came in the 79th minute, and was engineered by Con's diminutive out-half Darragh Lyons, who skilfully attacked the blindside and found Lane with a superb flat pass on the gain line, allowing the giant wing to seal victory.

CORK CONSTITUTION D Hurley; R Lane, D Nethery, T Gleeson, C Healy; D Lyons, P McKee; Tom Ryan, R Quinn, Tim Ryan, J Moloney, S O'Connor, M O'Connell, B Cutriss, F Cogan (capt) Sub E Leamy for Moloney, 58 mins GALWEGIANS K Hickman; J Cleary, A Barrett, N Wakely, J Wakely; P O'Toole, T Tierney; D O'Connell, C Muldoon, D O'Brien, L Scahill, A Brown, A Conboy (capt), B O'Connor, L Casserly Subs D Boyd for O'Connor, 53 mins;

R Davies for O'Brien, 60 mins; R Hogan for Brown, 70 mins; L Stringer for Tierney, 71 mins; P Durkin for O'Toole, 74 mins Referee J Carvill (Leinster)