Blistering start crucial as Port’ eliminate St Loman’s

AIB Leinster Club SFC quarter-final: Portarlington (Laois) 1-14, St Loman’s, Mullingar 1-12

A whirlwind start which saw them lead by eight points after just 12 minutes ultimately proved to be decisive for a well-drilled Portarlington side who edged out St Loman’s, Mullingar by a two-point margin in a terrific Leinster quarter-final, played in ideal conditions for football at MW Hire O’Moore Park, Portlaoise last Sunday afternoon.

A large and vociferous crowd witnessed a cracking game of football which neither team really deserved to lose, writes Gerry Buckley.

However, despite taking the lead for the first time in the 36th minute, Declan Kelly’s troops – who had inevitably expended a lot of energy in clawing their way back into contention – were unable to stretch their advantage, and it is the Laois champions who march on to a Croke Park date with Kilmacud Crokes next Saturday week.

A quickly-taken free by Jake Foster teed up Ronan Coffey for the lead point in the opening minute. Ageless veteran Paddy Dowdall soon sauntered forward to equalise, but it was virtually all-Portarlington over the ensuing ten minutes, the men in maroon and green jerseys playing some tremendous attacking football in the process.

Rapid-fire points from the boots of Colm Murphy, Patrick O’Sullivan and Adam Ryan (the latter score coming shortly after TJ Cox had kicked the first wide of the contest) preceded an eighth-minute goal from Rioghan Murphy (a great finish at the end of a flowing move).

When David Murphy and Rioghan Murphy tagged on further points to put the home team 1-6 to 0-1 ahead with less than a dozen minutes on the clock, it looked like the widely-predicted ding-dong contest between the teams was going to be way off the mark.

The lively Cox had a goal attempt blocked at the expense of an unconverted ‘45’, before the hitherto-anonymous John Heslin slotted over a 40-metre free on the quarter-hour mark.

The losing skipper was then just short from a near-identical free, but Dowdall set up the hard-working Ronan O’Toole for a timely third point for the Westmeath champions moments before the first water break, at which stage Portarlington led by 1-6 to 0-3.

Heslin converted a tricky free in the 20th minute to further reduce the deficit. Shane Dempsey was denied a goal as his side was coming more and more into the game, before O’Toole doubled his tally at the end of a patient move.

Colm Murphy responded with the winners’ first score in 16 minutes. However, a black card for his colleague Adam Mohan in the 29th minute gave the men in blue and white a boost.

Heslin lobbed over a 30-metre free, and in injury-time a move from a ‘45’ ended with Fola Ayorinde – who showed to very good effect throughout the match – pointing. At the interval, the scoreboard read: Portarlington 1-7, St Loman’s, Mullingar 0-7.

Tenacious St Loman’s defending caught the eye in the opening minutes of the second half, but 14-man Portarlington still pounced for a 34th-minute point from the boot of Ryan. A minute later, the energetic Sam McCartan was awarded a point by the referee after the white flag umpire had initially waved the shot wide.

It got even better for the Delvin Road outfit when Ayorinde and O’Toole combined for Cox to rifle a great low shot to the net. When Heslin followed up with another successful free, remarkably St Loman’s led for the first time (1-9 to 1-8).

Another half-chance of a St Loman’s goal ensued before Martin Murphy’s charges levelled what was a riveting match courtesy of a Colm Murphy free.

A point exchange between Jake Foster (the last of Portarlington’s starting forwards to make the scoresheet) and Peter Foy (a quality score) left the teams level at 1-10 apiece at the second water break.

It was all to play for in the final quarter. Points from Ryan and Colm Murphy – both at the end of counterattacks – nudged the O’Moore County men ahead, but Heslin (who was untypically ineffectual in open play) converted a free and McCartan doubled his tally to tie up the scoring again.

Foster (rounding off a move started by a sideline kick) and sub Stephen O’Neill pointed for Portarlington, and the scoreboard operator was not troubled in a tense closing period during which St Loman’s sub Ken Casey was black-carded.

Scorers – Portarlington: C Murphy 0-4 (1f), R Murphy 1-1, A Ryan 0-3, J Foster 0-2, R Coffey, P O’Sullivan, D Murphy and S O’Neill 0-1 each. St Loman’s: J Heslin 0-5f, TJ Cox 1-0, S McCartan and R O’Toole 0-2 each, F Ayorinde, P Dowdall and P Foy 0-1 each.

Portarlington: Scott Osbourne; Cathal Bennett, Robbie Pigott, Alex Mohan; Colin Slevin, Stuart Mulpeter, Patrick O’Sullivan; Keith Bracken, Sean Byrne; Adam Ryan, Ronan Coffey, Rioghan Murphy; Jake Foster, David Murphy, Colm Murphy. Subs used: Sean Mooney for Osbourne (inj., 37), Stephen O’Neill for Slevin (43), Jordan Fitzpatrick for D Murphy (55).

St Loman’s, Mullingar: Jason Daly; David Whelan, Darragh O’Keeffe, Oisín Hogan; Kelvin Reilly, Paddy Dowdall, Jack Geoghegan; Sam McCartan, Fola Ayorinde; Peter Foy, Ronan O’Toole, Kevin Regan; TJ Cox, John Heslin, Shane Dempsey. Subs used: Ken Casey for Dempsey (43), Rory Sheehan for Regan (55).

Ref: Anthony Nolan (Wicklow).