Portarlington battle bravely but in vain

Lalor Cup Final 

Athy 38 

Portarlington 5 

PORTARLINGTON had no answer to Athy’s power and craft when the pair met in the Lalor Cup final in Cill Dara on Sunday. While the Laois battled away until the final whistle there was always going to be only one outcome.

The fact is that Portarlington faced a massive challenge even before ethe game commenced. Athy are the Provincial Towns Cup holders and lie mid-point in this season’s Division 1A of the Leinster League while Portarlington are trading their wares in Division 2A/3. They have been impressing winning six of their eight games to date but the fact remains that the gulf between the two leagues is vastly different.

Athy would have been somewhat surprised to have found themselves in the Lalor Cup after losing their opening round Hosie Cup game to Clondalkin but subsequently beat Naas to advance to the Lalor Cup final.

The Kildare side took control from the start running their first try in the fourth minute and adding two more in the 26th and 33rd minute, converting one of them to lead 17-0 at half time.

And they did not let up on the restart adding two more tries in the 502nd and 60th minutes.

Portarlington got something to cheer about when Jason Yellop cross the line for their only score ten minutes from time.

But Athy would have the last say of the game adding their last try tree minutes later.

Both sides now look forward to resuming their league campaigns next weekend, but there will be one other wee issue on Portarlington’s mind, the Provincial Towns Cup.

As Town’s Cup holders Athy have a bye in the opening round but Portarlington face a mouthwatering encounter with Laois neighbours Portlaoise in Togher. And as if that wasn’t enough, the two meet a week earlier in the league with Portlaoise also having home advantage.

ATHY: Culann Carbery; Cathal Fennessy, Daniel Henry, Aidan Henry, Tom Sheedy; Craig Miller, Eoin Farrell; Karol Donohoe, Christopher Larn, Richard McCarthy Moloney; Sean Donoghgoe, Lochlann Kelleher; Shane Horgan, Jack Henry, Patrick Julian.

Replacements: Conor Moran, Graham O’Shaughnessy, Dennis McCarthy, Kevin Downey, Kyle Stacey, Sean Nolan, Harry Bradbury.

PORTARLINGTON: Adam Lambkin; Eoin Worrell Jordan Fitzpatrick, Jack Hynes, Anavil Storey; Andrew Evans, Jason Keogh; Daragh Jewell, Jack Hennessy, James Dunne; Jason Yellop, Jack McCann; Warren Murray, Gavin Crampton, Toby Neilson-Dry.

Replacements: Theo McGrath, Aaron Costello, Craig Shaw, Jamie Delaney, Peter Dunne, Reinas Balakauskas, Mark Petriw.