Portlaoise run riot against the Warriors to record biggest haul of the season

Portlaoise 71 

Midland Warriors 12 

PORTLAOISE had their most emphatic win of the season when Midland Warriors were visitors to Togher last night. The game, originally scheduled for last Friday night due to weather conditions, but the delay mattered little to the home team who ran in 11 tries, including one penalty try, which along with Oisin Hade’s seven conversions brought up a grand total of 71 points.

The final scoreline may be a bit harsh on Midland Warriors who for the first half hour put Portlaoise under a lot of pressure. And to visitors credit, they never gave up the chase and battled right to the final whistle evidenced by the fact that their second try came in the 74th minute.

And that was after Portlaoise had started the game, as so often this season, with an early try. With seven minutes on the clock they formed a maul from a line out and when stopped short of the line team captain Ryan McEvoy picked and forced his way over. Hade added the conversion.

Midlands Warriors rose to the challenge and for the next ten minutes applied a lot of pressure on the home side. They were rewarded when pressurised Portlaoise fumbled the ball and their centre gathered to run 60 metres and score.

Now just two points separated the sdies and the home side were feeling the pressure. And that was how it continued for the next 15 minutes until some great handling from the back line sent Marc Bracken scuttling down the side line only to be stopped short. From an ensuing ruck prop Paddy Coss barged over and again Hade added the extras.

But again the Warriors came back at Portlaoise and having gotten themselves into a good scoring position, Portlaoise winger Niall Keenan intercepted a pass and ran the length to the field to score under the posts. Hade’s conversion brought Portlaoise’s tally to 21 points.

This eased the pressure on the home side who now began to open up. With the opening half drawing to a close from a five metre lineout Liam Doyle dived over and at the break Portlaoise led 26-5.

On the restart Portlaoise took just seven minutes to cross the whitewash again when Cian Butler touched down from a lineout.

Five minutes later a lovely move that saw out half Bryan Croke make a good break before moving the ball on to Hade. The full back made further ground and linked up with Bracken who drew the defender before slipping the ball back to Croke who was up in support and score.

The side now had 38 points after Hade converted and after this really cut loose. Another sweeping backs move ended with teenage replacement, Zach Maginnis crossing for a try. Joe McCormack was next to score and added a second just before full time.

Michael Rigney was like a gazelle in full flight when he cross the line another move that’s aw the ball thrown around.

A 70th minute penalty try and McCarthy’s 77th minute try round off a very satisfying evenings work for Portlaoise.

Portlaoise remain two points behind Roscrea in the race for automatic promotion but have a few busy weeks ahead of them.

The now face the long journey to Arklow next Sunday. Arklow may be 36 points behind them on the table but Portlaoise cannot afford any slip up in this the penultimate game on the regular league season.

On Sunday 8 March Portlaoise will host Newbridge in the second round of the Provincial Towns Cup and a week later take on Roscrea in Togher.

PORTLAOISE: Oisin Hade; Niall Keenan, Joe McCormack, Kevin Griffin, Marc Bracken; Bryan Croke, Jake Byrne; Paddy Coss, Ryan McEvoy, Aran Coiley; Michael Rigney; Darragh Davis; Mark Sherlock, Cormac Rigney, Liam Doyle.

Replacements: Daniel Breen, Joe Stevens, Ciaran O’Brien-McCormack, Cian Butler, Mark Kelly, Iain Corrigan, Zach Maginnis.