BLACKROCK College really put it up to top-four contenders Shannon in a close encounter of the extreme kind at Stradbrook yesterday.

It took a last-minute breakaway try by winger Andrew Finn, converted by Andrew Thompson, to seal victory for the Limerick side at the death.

Indeed, Rock looked the more accomplished side early on. Fionn Carr landed four penalties against a single reply from Thompson but the home side conceded a try to Pat O'Connor on half time.

Shannon looked a different side at the beginning of the second half and man-of-thematch Andrew Thompson struck with three penalties to give Shannon the lead. Finn's try then secured the win.

BLACKROCK F Carr, P Louvet, B Canavan, S Morrissey, A Henry, E Farrell, D Rowan, S Byrne, C Culleton, K Maloney, O Cullen (capt), D Dillon, D Laffan, R Woods, P Graham Subs M Cuffe for Byrne, 60 mins; S Baker for Rowan, 72 mins SHANNON D O'Donovan, P O'Connor, A Thompson, J Clogan, A Finn, T Bennett, F McNamara, L Hogan, TJ Hickey, K Grif"n, P O'Brien, F Walsh, P O'Connor, C McMahon, (capt) D Quinlan Subs F Roche for Grif"n, 46 mins; G Noonan for Phil O'Connor, 80 mins; M Tuohy for O'Donovan, 80 mins; C Costigan for Quinlan, 81 mins Referee E O'Dowd (Leinster Branch)