Abbeyleix storm to Roinn 7 championship honours

Scoil Mhuire Abbeyleix 10-11 St Patrick’s BNS Portarlington 3-0 Abbeyleix were crowned Division 7 hurling champions after producing a dominant display to defeat Portarlington in emphatic fashion.

They made a dream start when the impressive Billy Qualter struck for a goal directly from the throw-in. That early breakthrough set the tone for the contest as Abbeyleix quickly took control and never looked back.

Conor Magner added two goals during a blistering opening half, while Josh Delaney and Daniel Brennan also raised green flags. Qualter grabbed his second goal before the interval and Rory Cahill also found the net as Abbeyleix surged into a commanding 6-7 to 0-0 half-time lead.

To Portarlington’s credit, they continued to battle throughout the opening period, with goalkeeper Maddox Lennon pulling off several excellent saves to prevent an even wider margin. Abbeyleix resumed where they left off after the restart, with Josh Delaney extending their advantage further.

Portarlington responded positively, however, and were rewarded when Carter Byrne-Kane and Mason Tobin-Egan both scored goals, much to the delight of their supporters. Any hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished though, as Abbeyleix regained momentum. Billy Qualter added a point before Rory Cahill fired home a superb goal.

Eoin Hartford also got on the scoresheet with a goal, while Danny Carter and Daniel Brennan chipped in with points. Jackson Dunphy replied with a late goal for Portarlington, but Conor Magner completed his hat-trick before the final whistle as Abbeyleix sealed an impressive championship triumph.

SCORERS:

Abbeyleix: Conor Magner 3-2, Billy Qualter 2-4, Josh Delaney 2-1, Rory Cahill and Daniel Brennan 1-1 each, Eoin Hartford 1-0, Danny Carter 0-1.

Portarlington: Carter Byrne Kane, Jackson Dunphy and Mason Tobin Egan 1-0 each.

SCOIL MHUIRE ABBEYLEIX: Danny Carter, Steven Doheny, Eoin Hartford, Ollie Cole, Billy Qualter, Conor Magner, Daniel Brennan, Rory Cahill, Josh Delaney, Muhammad Usman, Noah Birney, Faizaan Shah, Kai Bradish, Charlie Redmond.

ST PATRICK’S BNS PORTARLINGTON: Maddox Lennon, Dominik Grochocki, Olly Cummins, Gearóid Cullen, Neddy Casesy, Carter Byrne Kane, Leon Killeen Delaney, Jackson Dunphy, Harry Maher, Aidan Holohan, Harry Ridgeway, Mason Tobin Egan, Tom Sargeant, Alex Moran, Hugh Coss, Nathan Leahy, Jerry Casey, Jake Leavy, Ciarán Kelly, Samuel Wyse, Louis McCallum.