Queen's survive last-gasp scare to join Instonians in Senior Cup final

Ben McFarlane’s late penalty sealed a 22-21 win for the students – but the drama didn’t end there as Banbridge missed a penalty with the final kick of the game.

Queen’s captain Jake McKay commended the fighting side of his side.

“It was tough all the way to the end, we didn’t start great but we worked or way into the game,” said. “We knew if we could play our way we’d keep the pressure and tempo on them.

“We got that penalty then they came down and missed that penalty at the end...it was nearly away from us but we held out.

“At 21-5 down the message was just hold on to the ball and play our way back the way we play and trust the process as we were a bit sloppy at times and tight up the set piece.”

Queen’s scored 16 unanswered points in the second half with the bench having a huge impact.

“There was a lot of experience on the bench, we have a different squad out and a few newbies there and then experience coming on and it went right down to the wire,” said McKay. “Fair play to Bann, they are a good tight side.”

And captain McKay made the decision to go for the posts in the closing seconds with Queen’s behind by two points.

“I wanted to know how long was left,” he said. “I thought it was going to be the last play...when we got the penalty, I looked at the scoreboard, luckily it went over and we just had to stick it out.

“The ref then said there was 30 seconds to go and then I thought that was it when they had the kick to win it.”

It is a third consecutive final for Queen’s but McKay is hoping to get his hand on the cup for the first time.

“Unfortunately, I missed the first one,” he said. “But I was involved last year and, hopefully, will be involved this year and we can get a win this year.

“I’d love to get a win in the Kingspan because it is not often you get out there.

"We’re building something here, it is a new generation but still the same Queen’s way and identity.

"And to get to a cup final we can show what we are about.”

Banbridge took the lead with a penalty try before Queen’s winger James Wright crossed.

Bann hooker Peter Cromie went over from a driving maul and Adam Doherty’s conversion gave the home side a 14-5 lead at the interval.

Cromie got his second try five minutes after the restart, which Doherty converted.

Harry Long and McKay got Queen’s back in the game with a try each - McFarlane converted both before kicking the decisive penalty.

It will be an all-Belfast final as Instonians beat Armagh 22-21 at the Palace Grounds in a game that also went to the wire, with Ritchie McMaster’s last-gasp penalty winning it for the Shaw’s Bridge club.

Inst took a 12-0 lead with tries from Ruairi O’Farrell and Bradley McNamara, with McMaster converting the latter.

Armagh responded with tries from Lewis Finlay and Niall Carville. Brayden Laing converted both to give the home side a 14-12 half-time lead.

Carville added a second converted try to give Armagh a nine-point advantage. With five minutes left, Inst hooker Oli Clarke went over, McMaster converted and the out half landed the winning penalty.