Snarling and sizzling, irresistible Athy not yet satisfied with historic Leinster run

Joint manager Ross Bell and his side again pushed back against 'isn't it great you got this far?' talk with emphatic win over Portarlington 

29 November 2025; Barry Kelly of Athy celebrates with his cousin Freddie Salmon, age 3, after the AIB Leinster GAA Football Senior Club Championship semi-final match between Athy and Portarlington at Cedral St Conleth's Park in Newbridge, Kildare. Photo by Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile

A few moments from Athy's sizzling, snarling first-half performance in Newbridge. Five minutes in, captain David Hyland opting to lay down a marker with a spinning kick off the outside of his boot that soared over from nearly 50 metres out. In the 19th minute, Athy pressing up hard on Portarlington's kick-out after a point, Sean Moore catching it and finding Hyland for his second two-pointer. Close to half-time, Niall Kelly, the game's leading scorer with 10 points, diving down head-first amongst a clutch of players for a ball and flicking it away to Ronan Kelly for another score.

No surprise then with that sort of ferocity that Athy led by 0-15 to 0-2 at half-time and powered through a first Leinster club SFC final against Ballyboden St Enda's next Saturday. But where did all that defiance come from?