Portlaoise get the better of Laois rival in entertaining game of rugby

Provincial Towns Plate Rd 1 

Portlaoise 26 

Portarlington 19

IT might be classed as an end of season competition by some, but on Friday night at Togher Portlaoise and Portarlington served up a cracking game of rugby.

The sides had met twice this season in the league with the honours shared. Portarlington ended Portlaoise’s unbeaten run in their initial meeting while Portlaoise turned the tables late in the campaign in which they ended a point ahead of their rivals.

This all set the scene for a game could define both side’s season and provide the bragging rights for another 12 months. And the teams did not let their supporters down, both sides attempting to run the ball and play an expansive game.

The home side largely dominated the game but their stuttering lineout handed the initiative to Portarlington on a number of occasions. Portlaoise went into the break leading 14-5 and extended that to 26-5 midway through the second half.

But Portarlington never give up, especially against Portlaoise, and they finished very strongly. So much so that the home side’s supporters had a nervous time late into the game. With 14 points separating them Portarlington piled on the pressure but their only reward was a try right on the final whistle.

Unfortunately, the flow of the game was not helped by an over zealous referee who flashed seven yellow cards, one resulting in a red, over the course of a game that was by no means unsporting. The first of those cards was issued to Portarlington prop Darragh Jewel after just ten minutes for a lineout infringement.

Portlaoise had started brightly after Portarlington knocked on the kick off. From the scrum Portlaoise moved the ball left to winger Iain Corrigan who looked in until his toe touched the sideline.

Following Jewel’s dismissal Portlaoise kicked to touch and from the lineout Cormac Rigney crashed over for the opening try. Euan McCann added the extras.

Approaching the mid-point of the half Portlaoise like they were going to add a second. The ball was hacked on and with several Portlaoise players giving chase they were denied by some excellent covering defence from Portarlington centre Simon Doggett.

On the half hour mark, with Portlaoise on the attack again, a minor fracas in the corner ended with a second yellow, followed by red for Jewell and a yellow for Portlaoise’s Corrigan.

Approaching half time Portarlington went on the attack and were putting pressure on the home side, pinning them back deep in their own territory where they conceded a penalty. Portarlington took a tap penalty, went through the phases before Keith Kavanagh whipped the ball to Adam Lampkin whose long pass out to Doggett saw the centre outstrip the Portlaoise defence for a well work try.

With the gap closed to two points, Portlaoise reacted positively. They went straight back down the field where good work from forwards Sean Peters and Joe Stevens ended with Paddy Coss crashing over. McCann added the conversion to leave Portlaoise leading 14-5 at the interval.

The new half was just seven minutes old when Portarlington scrumhalf Keith Kavanagh received what looked like a rather yellow for a deliberate knock on. A penalty certainly but yellow?

For the next 15 minutes both sides went at each but neither created any clear cut scoring opportunity but were keeping the few in attendance enthralled. Portarlington were playing an expansive game, whipping the ball left and right when Portlaoise hooker Ryan McEvoy earned a yellow card for a no arms tackle.

Soon after Portlaoise scored a fabulous try. From deep inside their own half Corrigan and Mark Sherlock combined to set Aran Coiley racing down the left wing. AS he was being tackled he slipped the ball to Cormac Rigney to run in for his second try. Again McCann was unerring from the tee.

Yellow was flashed again when Portarlington’s Joe McLoughlin was deemed to have obstructed a Portlaoise follow up. From the ensuing penalty and lineout Portlaoise ran in try number four, Aaron Kingston getting the touchdown. This time McCann’s kick flew across goal but this home side had a comfortable 26-5 lead entering the final quarter.

And maybe that was part of the problem, that they felt comfortable. They got a wake up call minutes later when a magnificent pass from scrumhalf Kavanagh cut out three players to leave Doggett to score his second in the corner. Lambkin landed an equally impressive conversion from the sideline to leave 14 points between the sides.

Portlaoise centre Glen Connolly had the honour of receiving the game’s final yellow card for high tackle as Portarlington began to control the game. Credit the Portlaoise defence which stood solid in the face of this onslaught.

They were eventually breached when a quick tapped penalty ended with Lamkin going on a dazzling run to score in the corner in the 82nd minute. He added the conversion but it was too little two late for the lads from the Lea Road.

Portlaoise now await the winners of the Enniscorthy v Edenderry game on Sunday.

SCORERS:

Portlaoise: C. Rigney (2 tries), P Coss and A Kingston (1 try each), E McCann (3 cons).

Portarlington: Simon Doggett (2 tries), K Lampkin (1 try, 2 cons).

PORTLAOISE: Oisin Bennett; Iain Corrigan, Niall Keenan, Glen Connolly, Tadhg O’Sullivan; Euan McCann, Mark Kelly; Aran Coiley, Ryan McEvoy, Joe Stevens; Michael Rigney, Sean Peters; Mark Sherlock, Darragh Davies, Cormac Rigney.

Replacements: Paddy Coss, Cian Coffey, Aaron Kingston, Jamie Holohan, Jake Byrne.

PORTARLINGTON: Eoin Worrell; Thomas Scully, Simon Doggett, Denville Maya, Anavil Storey; Adam Lampkin, Keith Kavanagh; Darragh Jewell, Conor Houlihan, Joe McLoughlin; Aaron Costello, Toby Neilson-Dry; Gavin Crampton, Warren Murray, Jack Hennesy.

Replacements: Dylan Stronge, Jack Corr, Michael Boyhan, Peter Dunne, Ross Doyle.