IT’S THE BIGGEST day on the club hurling calendar with serial winners Portumna up against underdogs Mount Leinster Rangers in Croke Park.
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Result: Portumna 0-19 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-11
Happy St Patrick’s Day and welcome along to Croke Park for the 2014 AIB All-Ireland senior club finals.
First up at 2pm, we have the hurling meeting between Galway’s Portumna and Carlow’s Mount Leinster Rangers. Portumna are old stagers with title wins in 2006, 2008 and 2009 under their belt while they lost the 2010 final against Ballyhale Shamrocks.
For Mount Leinster Rangers, whose progression has been a wonderful tale this season, this is unchartered territory. Two years ago they did win an All-Ireland hurling title here at the intermediate grade.
Here’s the Portumna team that will start:
PORTUMNA: Joe Keane; Conor O’Hare, Eugene McEntee, Gareth Heagney; Peter Smith, Martin Dolphin, Eoin Lynch; Leo Smith, Andrew Smith; Kevin Hayes, Damien Hayes, Ollie Canning; Ronan O’Meara, Joe Canning, Niall Hayes.
And here’s the Mount Leinster Rangers team that will start.
MOUNT LEINSTER RANGERS: Frank Foley; Michael Doyle, Garry Doyle, Gary Kelly; Diarmuid Byrne, Richard Coady, Edward Coady; Derek Byrne, Padraig Nolan; Paul Coady, Edward Byrne, David Phelan; Denis Murphy, John Coady, Eoin Doyle.
Westmeath’s Barry Kelly is the referee this afternoon and we’re almost set for action.
Early free in to Portumna after Joe Canning is fouled after striking the ball into the forwards. Canning as expected has started at midfield.
But Canning surprisingly misses the free from what looked like a score able position.
At the other end Denis Murphy shoots wide from distance for Mount Leinster Rangers.
Mount Leinster Rangers 0-1 Portumna 0-0: 5 mins – And Denis Murphy slots over the free to edge the underdogs ahead.
Mount Leinster Rangers 0-1 Portumna 0-1: 7 mins – Joe Canning ties the teams with a point from a free.
Mount Leinster Rangers 0-2 Portumna 0-1: 8 mins – Edward Byrne edges Mount Leinster Rangers back in front with a neat point from play.
Mount Leinster Rangers 0-3 Portumna 0-1: 9 mins – Great start by the Carlow champions. Edward Byrne is fouled after a surging run forward and Murphy slots over the free.
Mount Leinster Rangers 0-3 Portumna 0-2: 10 mins – Damien Hayes smashes over a point after great work by Niall Hayes to create the opening.
Mount Leinster Rangers 0-3 Portumna 0-3: 11 mins – Now the teams are level as Kevin Hayes despatches a point for Portumna.
Portumna 0-4 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-3: 12 mins – Sublime point over the shoulder by Joe Canning to edge Portumna in front.
Portumna 0-5 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-3: 14 mins – Point from free 65 yards out by Joe Canning.
Portumna 0-6 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-3: 18 mins – Portumna are definitely getting a grip on this game now. Joe Canning is fouled again around midfield and he dusts himself down before converting the free.
Portumna 0-7 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-3: 20 mins – Poor clearance by goalkeeper Frank Foley is seized upon by Ollie Canning and the ball is despatched between the posts for another Portumna point.
Portumna 0-7 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-4: 21 mins – Magnificent point from play by Denis Murphy from a huge distance.
Portumna 0-8 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-4: 26 mins – Superb point by Damien Hayes as he fielded the ball high before turning and racing away from the Mount Leinster Rangers defence to point.
Portumna 0-8 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-5: 28 mins – They’re staying in touch. Mount Leinster grab another point, this time from full-forward John Coady who stylishly points after being picked out by centre-back Richard Coady.
Portumna 0-9 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-5: 30 mins – Ronan O’Meara is fouled and Joe Canning is on the mark with another pointed free.
Portumna 0-9 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-6: 31 mins – Ideal start to the second-half for Mount Leinster as Paul Coady splits the posts.
Portumna win a free in just 20 yards from goal and Joe Canning elects to try to hit the net. But his shot is blocked by the Mount Leinster rearguard on the line and they clear to safety.
Portumna 0-10 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-6: 33 mins – Kevin Hayes responds with a point for Portumna.
Portumna 0-10 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-7: 34 mins – Denis Murphy keeps Mount Leinster in touch as he drills over a free.
Substitute: Hugh Paddy O’Byrne in for John Coady in the Mount Leinster Rangers attack.
Portumna 0-11 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-7: 39 mins – Ollie Canning flights over a point for Portumna.
Portumna 0-12 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-7: 40 mins – Joe Canning with another point for Portumna as they start to pull clear.
Portumna 0-13 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-7: 43 mins – Ronan O’Meara calmly slots over a point for Portumna after Damien Hayes made the hard yards.
Portumna 0-13 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-9: 44 mins – Two quick points for Mount Leinster Rangers with Paul Coady scoring from play and Denis Murphy nailing a free.
Portumna 0-15 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-9: 50 mins – Ollie Canning seizes on another bad clearance by Frank Foley to point for Portumna and then Damien Hayes tears clear to point.
Denis Murphy fires a ’65 wide for Mount Leinster Rangers with eight minutes of normal time remaining.
Portumna 0-15 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-10: 52 mins – Neat point from play by Hugh Paddy O’Byrne.
Portumna 0-16 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-10: 53 mins – Portumna hit back with Joe Canning on target from play.
Portumna 0-16 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-11: 56 mins – Third point of the day by Mount Leinster wing-foward Paul Coady.
Portumna 0-18 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-11: 59 mins – That looks like that. Portumna grab two further points from Joe Canning frees.
Substitutes: Brian Nolan replaces Mount Leinster’s Derek Byrne while Portumna bring in Oisin Royston for Ronan O’Meara.
Portumna 0-19 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-11: 60 mins – Hawkeye judges another point for Joe Canning from a free.
Great day for Portumna. End of the road for Mount Leinster Rangers but credit to them for providing one of the best story lines of this year’s AIB club championships.
There must even be a few people in Portumna who would like to see Mt Leinster win – fairy tale stuff!
Cmon mlr. It would be a massive boost to carlow gaa. Everybody loves an underdog. Best of luck.
Win lose or draw MLR have done so well. Hold your heads high gentlemen.
Good ole Barry Kelly, whistle happy as usual.
Barry kelly the ruiner of many a good game
Here’s hoping for a great match and a rangers win. Hon the rangers!
Would be great to see MLR win, no matter what the result the people of Carlow are proud that the team have gotten this far
Love to see MLR win,I really would. Unfortunately the realist in me sees this being a one sided victory for a very good Portumna side. Wouldn’t it be great tho if I was wrong .
Portumna all the way! Everyone loves the underdogs but our boys work so hard every year and deserve the recognition! Show them how it’s done lads.
MLR are going to need goals, I think. Portumna are superior hurlers. (Hope they get them!)
Portman backs totally on top.
The frees weren’t free though he just give a free for nothing ye won ye were the better team but the ref was crap and didnt play fair that’s all. He shouldn’t be allowed to reg again till he learns the rules
While the ref gave some highly questionable decisions, I also thought some of the players were a bit naive in the way they threw themselves into the tackle in a way you wouldn’t see at inter county level, discipline is huge at such a level where the likes of Joe will punish ya
Barry Kelly only refereeed that game one way yesterday in favour of Portumna!
Portuma were lucky they did not come up against a stronger team on the day. They played two of their forwards, both Cannings, in the half back/midfield line. They kept Mount Leinster Rangers for the most part in the game until the last 10 minutes. Rangers were never strong to win the game. Neither team really looked like threatening to score a goal and which is unusual for Portumna. Mount Leinster Rangers free taker was truly shocking!
Hard luck Mount Leinster Rangers!