Young winger Jake Swaine’s 82nd-minute penalty guided Terenure College to a nail-biting 23-22 comeback win over three-try Garryowen at Lakelands Park.
This was Garryowen's first trip to the Dublin 6W venue since January 2009 and they enjoyed some early dominance, breaking into a 5-0 lead after just seven minutes' play.
Second row Johnny Keane was well positioned to force a ruck penalty and with the ball dispatched to touch and the lineout secured, a powerful maul ended with Garryowen's Kiwi captain Josh Hrstich touching down.
Terenure were the more potent side with ball in hand, their backs causing the Light Blues persistent problems, and they almost made it over in the corner before successive penalties from Jake Swaine made it 6-5 to the home side.
The visitors had place-kicking issues having missed an earlier penalty and the conversion of Hrstich's try. Talented scrum half Neil Cronin, who had a fine game, took over the kicking duties and he slotted a penalty for an 8-6 scoreline at the break.
The Limerick men should really have been further in front at the turnaround. Yellow cards for Willie Devane (35 minutes) and Kevin O'Neill (37) left Terenure shorthanded, but poor execution in attack, coupled with some set piece problems, meant they failed to take full advantage of those sin-binnings.
In an end-to-end second period, Garryowen missed an early penalty to touch and lost a lineout before 'Nure seemingly seized control with a try in the corner from full-back Ian Hanly which was brilliantly converted from the touchline by Swaine.
Incredibly, just six minutes later, Garryowen were 22-13 to the good. Munster Academy talent Steve McMahon picked off an intercept and darted out of his 22 to score a tremendous solo try that Cronin converted to nudge the visitors back in front.
It got even better for Conan Doyle's charges when some more potent running and crisp passing had 'Nure on the rack and Cronin nipped over in the corner, adding the tricky conversion himself for good measure.
Doyle will not have been pleased with his side's efforts in the closing 20 minutes, however, as they leaked 10 points without reply and left the capital with just a losing bonus point.
The Light Blues were left to rue that 15-versus-13 period when they failed to build a match-winning lead. The gap was down to 22-20 when Terenure, who always looked dangerous on the attack, penetrated the defence and centre Stephen O'Neill dotted down out wide.
Swaine hit a peach of a conversion and he stepped forward to land the game's decisive three-pointer in injury-time. Garryowen lost their discipline at a crucial stage and 'Nure needed no second invitation as they got back to winning ways by a single point.
Referee: Mark Patton (IRFU)