Portlaoise beat Wicklow in the final round of the league but must meet again next Sunday in the final

Leinster Rugby U/13 League 

Wicklow 7 

Portlaoise 26 

PORTLAOISE RFC delivered a dominant performance on Saturday last, securing a 19-point victory away to Wicklow RFC in a thrilling match.

With Portlaoise playing into a strong wind in the first half they were put under a lot of pressure from kicks deep into the back field which were all managed by full back on the day Nikodem Andrzejkowicz.

The first half was a close contest, but Wicklow went ahead initially with a converted try.

Portlaoise hit back just when the forwards were fed quick ball by half backs Liam Meade and Finn Byrne which led to a try by Cian Peters which was converted by out-half Liam Meade. This laid the foundation for what would become a dominant second half with the sides level on seven points apiece.

Portlaoise took the lead just on half time. Corey Doheny added to the Portlaoise tally with a well-executed break from the midfield. His speed and agility allowed him to evade the defenders and score, extending Portlaoise’s lead to 14-7 as the teams went into the break.

Wicklow mounted a brief comeback, but excellent defending from Eamon Oseghale Ekemhenrekhian and Harry Gee with well-timed tackles and lighting line speed saw Portlaoise go on the attack again. Odhran Thornton then showed great determination to cross the try line with a powerful run, breaking through tackles to secure the third try of the match. His effort, combined with a successful conversion, brought Portlaoise to a 19-7 advantage.

With the game almost in the bag and minutes left the replacement scrum half sealed the win with a fourth try which was sniped off the back of a ruck within a meter of the try line.

Overall, it was a well-rounded team effort and Portlaoise will take on Wicklow RFC in the league final this coming Sunday which will surely make an interesting watch.

PORTLAOISE PANEL: Cian McGowan, Tom O’Donnell, George McEvoy, Martin Tom Campbell, Subhan Fawad, Paddy Buggy, Billy Sherlock, Richard Lalor, Ryan Doran, Sam York, Corey Doheny, Harry Gee, Tom Priede, David Hyland, Odhran Thornton, Conor Kavanagh, Oisin Lewis, Eamon Oseghale Ekemhenrekhian, Cian Peters, James Hartford, Finn Byrne, Eddie Ince, Oisin Kirwan, Liam Meade, Daniel Croke, Cillian Mahony, Noah Delaney, Nikodem Andrzejkowicz, Flynn O Keefe, Evan Lynch, Zach Conroy, Seanan Farrell, Sam McCabe, Jimmy Fitzpatrick, Zach Conroy, Adam Code.