Navan Men's Under 20s suffered a last-minute heartbreak in Athlone, as a late Buccaneers try denied them victory in the opening round of the Leinster Purcell Cup.

Navan started strongly, with Matthew Conlon crossing for the opening try. Max Shivmangal added a second try, showcasing Navan’s attacking intent. Max McKenna converted one of the tries to keep Navan in the contest.

However, Buccaneers struck back and kept themselves within touching distance.

In a tense final few minutes, Buccaneers clinched the win with a late try, sealing a 17-12 victory.

Player of the Match “Sponsored by The Central”: Max McKenna

Navan Men's Under 20’s (Sponsored by JJ Duffy):

Alessandro Maltese, Cormac Kenny, Shane O'Connor, Ben McCreary, Conor Browne, Max Shivmangal, Oisin Heffernan, Matthew Conlon, Ben Cherry, Declan O'Connor, Alex Reynolds, Max McKenna, Sean O'Hare, Luke Griffin, Scott Corrigan.

Replacements:

Evin Harnett, Keelan McKenna, Cian Egan, Finn McNally, Eoin McSherry, Tom Powderly, Ciaran Beggy.