Portlaoise CBS 8-10 Malahide CS 0-3
2nd Year Leinster ‘B’ Football Championship Semi Final
Portlaoise CBS had surprisingly easy victory over Malahide CS in the 2nd Year Leinster ‘B’ football championship semi-final.
In wet and windy conditions in Kerdiffstown, Naas, on Thursday, CBS captain Darragh O’Riordan won the toss and opted to play with the wind.
Portlaoise dominated the opening exchanges, but could not convert possession into scores.
Several goal chances and point chances were squandered, until Finn McLernon of O’Dempsey’s finally opened the scoring in the ninth minute, with a point for the CBS.
Some good interplay between O’Riordan and Fionn Delaney led to Tadas Sirvaitis rattling the net for Portlaoise.
The CBS continued to dominate but were penalised several times for over-carrying the ball when opportunities were at their mercy.
O’Riordan tagged on the next point before McLernon found Ryan Fennell in space and he found the net with a low shot to the corner.
Conall Lalor then won possession and found Fennell on the run inside. He cut back and kicked a lovely point that floated over with the strong breeze.
Malahide did make some foray’s up the field but were thwarted each time by a strong half-back line of Luke Devaney, James Lynch and Jack Davis.
Time after time they dispossessed the Dublin players and started new attacks. Fennell turned provider for the CBS’ fourth point when he passed out to Jack Moore who slotted it over.
McLernon won the resulting kickout and ran 40 metres to bury the ball in the Malahide net.
Fionn Delaney finished the half with his first point of the day, to leave the score line 3-5 to 0-0 at half-time.
With a strong wind, Malahide started the second half with lots of possession but could not make it count.
Although their inside forward line were much more in the game, Eoghan Dunne, Zac Scully and Odhran Reddin were more than a match for them.
McLernon scored a point against the run of play, but soon after, goals from Sirvaitis and O’Riordan put the game to bed.
Delaney then added a point while McLernon added 1-1 to his tally. Jack Moore pointed after a one-two with Oran Lalor while Conall Lalor kicked a nice point off his left with five minutes to go.
Malahide did manage to score two pointed frees in the second half and their only score from play came in the 59th minute.
Rian Daly capped a memorable CBS performance with a goal at the death, which puts Adrian White’s charges into the Leinster B Final against the winners of Scoil Dara, Kilcock or St. Joseph’s Drogheda.
SCORERS – Portlaoise CBS: Finn McLernon 3-3, Tadas Sirvaitis 2-0, Darragh O’Riordan and Ryan Fennell 1-1 each, Rian Daly 1-0, Jack Moore and Fionn Delaney 0-2 each, Conall Lalor 0-1.
PORTLAOISE CBS: Dylan Fitzpatrick (Portlaoise); Odhran Reddin (The Heath), Eoghan Dunne (Portlaoise), Zac Scully (Annanough); Luke Devaney (Portlaoise), James Lynch (Stradbally), Jack Davis (Stradbally); Tadas Sirvaitis (Portlaoise), Conall Lalor (Portlaoise); Finn McLernon (O’Dempsey’s), Darragh O’Riordan (Stradbally), Noah Finn (Portlaoise); Jack Moore (The Heath), Fionn Delaney (Portlaoise), Ryan Fennell (Portlaoise). Subs: Rian Daly (Stradbally) for O’Riordan (inj), Brooklyn McCarthy (Portlaoise) for Finn, Oran Lalor (Stradbally) for Moore, Andrew Delaney (The Heath) for Reddin, Finty Duff (Park Ratheniska) for Scully. Tom McCarty (Stradbally), Lee McStay (Portlaoise), Finn Moore (The Heath), David Tiwo (Portlaoise), Sean Fitzpatrick (Park Ratheniska), Daniel Tynan (Timahoe), Adam Dowling (Park Ratheniska), Aidan McDonald (Timahoe), Will Lannigan (The Heath), Tiernan O’Dwyer (Portlaoise).
