Portlaoise complete magnificent seven
The dual club are now the clear market leaders in the east with Carlow’s Éire Óg their closest contenders with five crowns. But it will be thoughts of an All-Ireland occupying the minds of the Laois champions this Christmas.
Portlaoise have won just one national crown in their history and they will be eager to atone for their oh-so-close campaign in 2004/05 when they lost by a point to Ballina Stephenites on St Patrick’s Day.
Little that happened in Tullamore yesterday will persuade anyone that this is not a team capable of bridging a gap that spans back to 1983, although Kilmurry-Ibrickane or Tir Chonaill Gaels will have their say in the matter early next year.
This was by no means the complete performance by ‘The Town’ but they showed admirable strength and courage in easing to victory despite playing the second half with 14 men and against a stiff wind.
For Garrycastle, it is a painful note on which to end their season and Westmeath’s search for a first club title at this level continues.
Portlaoise began with the bracing wind at their backs and went about establishing a cushion with which to face the elements after the break. It was impressive stuff.
Three points within the first six minutes came easily and the chant of ‘Portlaoise, Portlaoise’ reverberating around the main stand at such an early stage must have sounded ominous to the Westmeath contingent.
It was fluid, effective football that belied the arctic conditions and heavy pitch and it was reminiscent of the style with which they reached that All-Ireland final back in 2005.
Paul Dillon opened Garrycastle’s account in the seventh minute but the underdogs weren’t doing themselves any favours with their policy of playing just one or two men up front in that opening period.
The reasoning behind it was understandable. With the wind in their faces, it was always going to be an all-hands-on-deck half an hour but that allowed defenders of the calibre of Kevin Fitzpatrick to roam upfield and to good effect.
Fitzpatrick picked off the best point of the opening period by catching a kickout from Cathal Mullin, bustling through a handful of flailing arms to fire a shot over the Garrycastle bar.
That was the cue for another mini-flurry of scores that took Portlaoise into a 0-6 to 0-1 lead and their pressing game was equally effective in preventing Garrycastle leaving their own stamp on proceedings.
That said, only four points separated the side by the time the interval arrived. It was a meagre advantage given the way the game had gone and Portlaoise’s worries were compounded by the loss of Peter McNulty.
The corner-forward had already picked up one yellow card, after 21 minutes, when he followed it up with a clumsy challenge on James Duignan shortly after and referee Derek Fahy had little choice but to send him to the line.
Garrycastle’s good fortune gathered momentum within four minutes of the restart when Paddy Mulvihill’s clever ball in across the area was fisted into the net by Gary Dolan and the goal stood despite calls of square ball.
The next 60 seconds were a blur.
A bout of fisticuffs broke out in the main stand soon after Dolan’s goal and, while the stewards were stepping in to separate the warring parties, back on the pitch Barry Fitzgerald manoeuvred himself into space to find the net at the other end.
With wing-back Doran Harte operating as the spare man in midfield, Garrycastle continued to enjoy some promising returns going forward and Gary Dolan was the chief threat.
Another point, and a free from his brother Dessie, kept the scoreboard ticking over but Garrycastle abandoned all routes to goal aside from the most direct into Gary on the edge of the square from that point on.
With Cahir Healy smothering Dessie’s threat, it was easy to see why. The ploy almost delivered a second goal for Gary with 12 minutes left but Portlaoise were soon wise to the long ball and prepared accordingly.
Two points from Fitzgerald, one from play, allowed Portlaoise to keep their pursuers at a distance but, though the game began to run dry of scores, the commitment never dropped.
Garrycastle midfielder Seanie O’Donoghue should have seen red for an off-the-ball altercation with Craig Rogers eight minutes from the finish. Instead, both men were booked.
Rogers, of course, will live to fight another day. As will Portlaoise.
Scorers for Portlaoise: B Fitzgerald 1-2 (0-1f), P Cahillane 0-2, C Rogers 0-2, K Fitzpatrick 0-1, A Fennelly 0-1, C Byrne 0-1.
Scorers for Garrycastle: G Dolan 1-1, P Dillon 0-2 (1f), D Dolan 0-1f, S O’Donoghue 0-1.
PORTLAOISE: M Nolan; C Healy, K Fitzpatrick, E Bland; B Mulligan, M McNulty, K Lillis; A Fennelly, B McCormack; C Rogers, B Glynn, P McNulty; P Cahillane, C Byrne, B Fitzgerald.
Subs: J Fennell for Byrne (38), C Boyle for Glynn (49), B Smyth for Rogers (55), A Kelly for Mulligan (60).
GARRYCASTLE: C Mullin; P Rattigan, J Gaffey, E Mulvihill; M McCallon, K Henson, D Harte; S O’Donoghue, D O’Shaughnessy; J Dolan, J Duignan, P Mulvihill; P Dillon, G Dolan, D Dolan.
Subs: T McHugh for Rattigan (19), D Hermbusche for McHugh (36), A Browne for O’Shaughnessy (36), S Mulvihill for P Mulvihill (36), A Daly for Duignan (57).
Referee: D Fahy (Longford).
