Missed chances and ill-discipline haunt Portlaoise again

Portlaoise RFC 24 

New Ross RFC 25 

FOUR games into their Leinster League season and Portlaoise have only one win to show for their efforts. Having won promotion last season, the Togher side are finding life in Division 2A that be stiffer than last season.

Having already lost to North Kildare and Cill Dara after Sunday’s loss to New Ross in Togher the question was the same – how did we manger to lose that. Nine point loss to North Kildare was hard to take, the could have no complaints about the 45-19 loss to Cill Dara who are top of the table.

But Sunday’s loss left a bad taste in the mouth. Portlaoise had dominated possession and territory in the early part of the game but could not make it count on the scoreboard. They just needed to be more clinical.

In fairness they were without a number of regulars through injury but even that could not mask their shortcomings. And they are lucky there are no games this coming weekend because they lost another coupled of players to injury in this game.

One are that needs to be addressed is discipline. Too many needless and silly penalties were conceded, the most intolerable being for talking back to the referee. This is simply not acceptable no matter how much a player might feel he has been wronged.

There is also a need to finding a regular full-time kicker having missed five kicks at goal on Sunday.

And it had all started so brightly in the Sunday sunshine. The game was just five minutes old when the home side turned over a New Ross defensive line after which Ronal Donlon crossed the line.

For the next 15 minutes Portlaoise controlled the play but always seemed to make a simple error that upset their momentum.

At the midpoint of the half the first of many unacceptable penalties, for ‘chatting’ to the referee gave New Ross to opportunity to open their account, converted by their excellent kicker Yaseen Williams.

That score spurred the visitors into life and but for some last ditch talking Portlaoise could have conceded a couple of tries.

Just five minutes after their first penalty, Williams gave New Ross the lead for the first time after Portlaoise were pinged for needlessly handling the ball on the ground.

Minutes later it got worse for the home side when they had a player yellow carded for again giving the referee some advice.

And New Ross made Portlaoise when Rory Browne crossed the line after being put through by Jake Cullen. Williams’ conversion put them 5-13 ahead.

To their credit Portlaoise reacted positively. After winning a scrum penalty they elected to tap and go ending with Paddy Coss rolling off a couple of tackles to touch down. Matthew Coonan’s closed the gap to the minimum at half time, 12-13.

Portlaoise started the second half as they did the first. From the New Ross kick off Ronan Donlon gathered the ball and made a fantastic break. He linked up withy Michael Rigney and Dylan Kelly who sent Cullen Kirwan free to scorch his opposite winger for a great try. Portlaoise were back in front, 17-13, but not for long.

New Ross responded from the kick off when Joe McCormack was robbed by his opposite number, Sean Kinsella which they finished off with a converted try to retake the lead, 17-20.

Much of the remainder of the game was played as a stalemate, with both sides having their chances but not taking them.

That said, New Ross extended their advantage at the mid-point of the half when some atrocious tackling allowed Aaron Fenlon waltz through untouched for a try.

With an eight-point deficit facing them Portlaoise certainly upped the challenge and were rewarded on the half hour mark. From a scrum under the New Ross posts Portlaoise moved the ball right and won a penalty. From the tap and go Sean Peters crashed over, and with Cormac Rigney adding the extras just a single points separated the sides.

With the game in injury time Portlaoise had one last chances to rescue the game when they won a penalty 35 metres out. Unfortunately Coonan’s effort fell short and the New Ross and mentors team could breath a sigh of relief.

However, despite the loss Portlaoise remain in sixth place on the table thanks to the two bonus points they won. They now have a week’s rest but face a stiff test on Sunday 1 November when they travel to Newbridge.

PORTLAOISE: Jack Darcy; Cullen Kirwan, Cormac Rigney, Joe McCormack, Niall Keenan; Mathhew Coonan, Dylan Kelly; Eoin Keenan, Ryan McEvoy, Paddy Coss; Sean Peters, Daragh Townsend; Michael Rigney, Ronan Donlon, Liam Doyle.

Replacements: Ciaran O'Brien-McCormack, Shane O’Reilly, Daragh Phelan, Jake Byrne, Euan McCann NEW ROSS: Yaseen Williams; Jack Ryan, Walter Walsh, Sean Kinsella, Michael Hunt; Eoghan O'Dwyer, Eythan Van Tonder; Sean Glapiak, David Bailey, James Ryan; Rory Browne, Sean Whelan, Liam Whelan, Jake Cullen, Tim Coughlan.

Replacements: James Bryan, Jamie Brennan, Sam Prendergast, Cormac Tierney, Aaron Fenlon