Advertisement
Portumna's Leo Smith with Edward Byrne of Mount Leinster. Donall Farmer/INPHO
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Portumna v Mount Leinster Rangers, AIB All-Ireland SHC club final

Will it be a fourth title for Portumna or a historic first for Mount Leinster Rangers?

IT’S THE BIGGEST day on the club hurling calendar with serial winners Portumna up against underdogs Mount Leinster Rangers in Croke Park.

As always, we’d love to hear your comments. Send them to fintan@thescore.ie, tweet them @TheScoreGAA, find us on Facebook, or leave a comment below.

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.

Foul by Portumna’s Martin Dolphin on Edward Byrne. Free in for Mount Leinster.

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.

Yellow card for Mount Leinster Rangers midfielder Padraig Nolan.

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.

Donall Farmer / INPHO Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO

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.

Yellow card for Portumna’s Ronan O’Meara.

Half-Time: Portumna 0-9 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-5

We’re getting set for the second-half action here.

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.

Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

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.

Richard Coady and Damien Hayes Richard Coady and Damien Hayes. Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

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.

Yellow card for Mount Leinster Rangers Derek Byrne.

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.

Substitute: Owen Treacy on for the injured Peter Smith for Portumna.

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.

Substitute: Patrick Dolphin on for Portumna for Niall Hayes.

Denis Murphy off target with a long-range free. 13 minutes left.

Another Mount Leinster wide, this time from captain David Phelan.

Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

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.

Substitute: Jack Murphy is in for Mount Leinster to replace David Phelan.

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.

Substitute: Willie Hickey is in for Mount Leinster as he replaces  Eoin Doyle.

Portumna 0-18 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-11: 59 mins – That looks like that. Portumna grab two further points from Joe Canning frees.

Red Card: Mount Leinster’s Edward Coady has been sent off.

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.

Portumna are All-Ireland senior club hurling champions for 2014

Full-Time: Portumna 0-19 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-11

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.

The man-of-the-match award goes to Portumna’s Eoin Lynch. A fourth All-Ireland senior club hurling title for Portumna, they’re now second with Birr in the roll of honour behind Ballyhale Shamrocks.

That’s all from us this afternoon as regards the hurling final. Thanks for joining in.

6 key players to watch out for in the All-Ireland senior club hurling final

18 signs your club is in the AIB All-Ireland final on St Patrick’s Day

Your Voice
Readers Comments
14
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.