Colossus Coss scores second hat-trick of the season as Portlaoise remain unbeaten

Leinster League Division 2B 

Portlaoise 28 

Clane 10 

PORTLAOISE'S unbeaten start to their Leinster League Division 2B campaign continues, after an impressive bonus-point win at home to Kildare side, Clane. Loose head prop Paddy Coss was the hero, scoring a hat-trick in the win. Amazingly, it is the second hat-trick of the opening three games from Coss - a remarkable accomplishment for a man with number one on his back.

It was a brisk but mercifully dry afternoon on Sunday in Togher, with the conditions allowing Portlaoise to play their preferred expansive rugby. They got off to the perfect start, with Euan McCann converting a Paddy Coss try after the loose head prop powered over the line in just the fifth minute.

Portlaoise kept up the pressure and crossed for a second try after 11 minutes when number eight, Adam Duffin ran into the corner to finish a superb team move. McCann excellently made his conversion from the touchline.

Portlaoise were playing scintillating rugby, with the highlight being Mark Kelly's show-an-go leading to an incredible display of power from Sean Peters. Clane came into the game midway through the half, but Portlaoise defended their try-line stubbornly to keep the Kildare side at bay.

Clane fly half Joel Dyer missed a couple of central penalties as the visitors pushed for a score. But they finally broke their duct three minutes before half time, with the forwards keeping possession for an age before eventually going wide where fullback Jamie Kleyn danced into space and over the line.

Dyer missed his kick once again to leave Portlaoise 14-5 ahead at the interval after an exciting first half.

Clane started well after the restart, keeping Portlaoise on their toes in the opening quarter. But Portlaoise were immense; and having been under the cosh for 20 straight minutes, the hosts got over for their third try on the hour mark.

Paddy Coss was on hand once again to finish the good work of his forwards with a well worked try against the run of play. Another conversion from McCann made it 21-5.

Clane threw caution to the wind in search of a try, which finally came ten minutes from time when Brian Jones broke free down the wing before offloading to Tom Malone who got over the line. Dyer failed to add the extras again. Portlaoise were 11 points ahead but the Clane fly half had left ten points out on the tee.

But Portlaoise bounced back almost immediately, with Coss completing his hat-trick and giving his side the four-try bonus-point in the process. McCann was flawless off the tee, banging his conversion between the uprights to give Portlaoise an 18-point victory.

SCORERS Portlaoise: Paddy Coss (3 tries), Adam Duffin (1 try), Euan McCann (4 cons).

Clane: Jamie Kleyn and Tom Malone (1 try each).

PORTLAOISE: Jack Reddin; Cillian Tynan, Oisin Bennett, Niall Keenan, Tadgh O'Sullivan; Euan McCann, Mark Kelly; Paddy Coss, Dan Boland, Joe Stevens; Killian O'Keefe, Sean Peters; Mark Sherlock, Cian Coffey, Adam Duffin.

Replacements: William Kerry for Boland (ht), Cathal Kenny for Peters (50m, inj), Aran Coiley for Keenan (54m), Marc Bracken for Kelly (63m), Sean Hennessy for Stevens (63m).

CLANE: Jamie Kleyn; Brian Jones, Barry Connolly, Julian Zebedee, Ciaran McKeon; Joel Dyer, Callum Houlihan; Curt Halpin, Sean Southgate, Ronan Connolly; Conor Tully, Cale Chanders; Oisin Cooke, Fintan Perris, Tom Malone.

Replacements: Niall Lacey for Southgate (40m), Chris Steadman for Connolly (40m), Adam Johnson for Halpin (57m), Stephen McGuinness for Connolly (57m), Luke Gannon for Tully (66m), John Gorman for Cooke (71m), Jimmy McMahon for Kleyn (75m).

Referee: Conor Hanley