Portarlington put Arklow to the sword with stunning display
Jack Hynes played his part in Portarlington's destruction of Arklow on Sunday Photo: David Maher
HAVING begun their Leinster League campaign with a 99-0 demolition of West Offaly Lions, Portarlington put Arklow to the sword at Lea Road on Sunday in the Laois club's first home game of the season.
Arklow were also unbeaten coming into the game, having drawn away to Clane in the opening round before beating Garda Westmanstown last time out.
But Portarlington picked up right where they left off against the Lions, running in six tries and 36 points in each half to maintain their impressive 100% record.
They set a marker down early, dismantling the Arklow pack to win a scrum penalty against the head. From there, a marauding run through the middle from Jack Hynes allowed the hosts to go wide, where winger Anavil Storey opened the scoring with a tenth-minute try in the corner.
Port kept the pressure on after the restart and spent another five minutes in the Arklow 22, with full back Eoin Worrell charging over for a try in the same corner.
The visitors were then reduced to 14 when fly half Conn Kinsella was sent to the sin bin for a late tackle. Portarlington soon made the numbers count and went in for a third try when Jack Hennessy crashed over under the posts, with fly half Andrew Evans adding the extras.
The home side put on an awesome display of handling after that and were eventually rewarded when flanker Gavin Crampton ran half the length of the field, breaking tackles along the way, to touch down under the posts for Portarlington's bonus-point try after just half an hour. Evans converted to make it 24-0.
Port were well and truly in their stride and added a fifth try soon after when scrum half Adam Lambkin scurried over, with Evans adding the extras.
Arklow made sure they wouldn't be nilled when full back Mark Hurley opted for the posts from an attacking penalty.
But the hosts were on the attack again before half time, with Dylan Stronge making an incredible charge towards the line where Denville Maya was there to become Portarlington's sixth different try-scorer and leaving his side up 36-3 at the break.
Arklow were on top early in the second half, but a break-away run from Worrell saw the full back become the first Portarlington man to grab a second try.
Not to be outdone, Lambkin capitalised on a huge hit from Hynes to gather the ball and race over for his second try, adding the extras himself.
With the floodgates open, another huge collision - this time from Stronge - made space out wide for Crampton to get over for a brace of his own. Lambkin converted brilliantly to bring Port up to 55 points approaching the final quarter.
Arklow went in search of a try, only to be repelled time and again by a defiant Portarlington defence. The hosts eventually turned over possession, with Worrell running from his own half to bag himself a hat-trick and bring Port up to the 60-point mark with over ten minutes left on the clock.
Next up to get his second try was Hennessy, as the hooker showed off his incredible power to shrug off three defenders and get across the line.
There was still time for the phenomenal Jack Hynes to get his name on the scoresheet, bursting through the Arklow line off a well-worked lineout from Portarlington.
Lambkin's conversion completed the rout, bringing Portarlington's final tally to 72 points. They have now scored 171 points in two games, conceding just three.
Ross Doyle's men are back in action next week when they travel to Moate to face Midland Warriors.
Eoin Worrell (3 tries), Adam Lambkin (2 tries, 3 cons), Gavin Crampton, Jack Hennessy (2 tries each), Anavil Storey, Denville Maya, Jack Hynes (1 try each), Andrew Evans (3 cons).
Mark Hurley (1 pen).
Eoin Worrell; Reinas Balakauskas, Jack Hynes, Denville Maya, Anavil Storey; Andrew Evans, Adam Lambkin; Daragh Jewell, Jack Hennessy, Devlin McLaughlin; Jason Yellop, Toby Neilson-Dry; Warren Murray, Gavin Crampton, Dylan Stronge.
Fintan Murphy: Cuan Culliton: Jack McCann: Oisin Mooney-Sherlock: Jason Keogh, Peter Dunne, Stephen Mulhall, Darragh Perry.
Mark Hurley; Anthony Gahan, Shane Haarer, Sean McCarthy, Adam McKenna; Conn Kinsella, Tadhg Scott; Piotr Moleda, Simon Hoey, John Louth; Michael McCarthy, Roan Freehill; Connor Short, Shane Kenny, Josh Nugent.
Anthony O’Donnell, Darragh Ivanoff, Oran Kelly, Dean McCormack, Tom Forde, Mikey Kinsella, Ruairi Timmons.
Eamon Timmins
