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Ciaran Dorney of Vincent's celebrates. INPHO/Donall Farmer
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: St Vincent's v Portlaoise, AIB Leinster senior football club final

Who would claim the last senior provincial club title of the year?

WE’RE IN TULLAMORE for the AIB Leinster senior club football final as St Vincent’s take on Portlaoise.

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Final score: St Vincent’s 3-12 Portlaoise 3-9

O’Connor Park in Tullamore hosts the last AIB provincial senior football club final of 2013. It’s St Vincent’s up against Portlaoise in the Leinster decider. Throw in is at 2pm.

Here’s the St Vincent’s starting team:

Michael Savage; Michael Concarr, Jarlath Curley, Hugh Gill; Cameron Diamond, Ger Brennan, Brendan Egan; Eamon Fennell, Daithi Murphy; Gavin Burke, Diarmuid Connolly, Shane Carthy; Ruairi Trainor, Ciaran Dorney, Tomas Quinn.

And here’s the Portlaoise starting team:

Michael Nolan; Malachy McNulty, Paul Cotter, Brian Mulligan; Eoin Whelan, Cahir Healy, Thomas Fitzgerald; Conor Boyle, Kieran Lillis; Brian Glynn, Brian McCormack, Craig Rogers; Paul Cahillane, Barry Fitzgerald, Brian Smith.

Longford’s Fergal Kelly is the referee for today’s game.

Just 15 minutes to go to throw-in now with both teams out on the pitch warming up.

Two late changes on the Portlaoise team with David Seale in for Malachy McNulty and Stuart Nerney in for Eoin Whelan.

St Vincent’s have made a few changes from their semi-final win with Michael Savage back from injury while Ger Brennan and Diarmuid Connolly return from suspension. Dermot Jordan, Kevin Bonnie and Adam Baxter drop to the bench.

The teams are now standing for a moment’s silence for the late Liam O’Connor.

We’re getting set for throw-in here.

Early scoring chance for St Vincent’s as Diarmuid Connolly demonstrates his threat as he is pulled back.

St Vincent’s 0-1 Portlaoise 0-0: 2 mins – Mossy Quinn taps over the resultant free to put the Dublin champions ahead.

St Vincent’s 0-1 Portlaoise 0-1: 3 mins – Portlaoise quickly draw level as Craig Rogers fires over a free.

Connolly again wins a free for St Vincent’s on the right wing but Quinn’s effort to land a point from the resultant kick comes up short.

Bad wide by Portlaoise wing-forward Craig Rogers. He was in plenty space after Diarmuid Connolly turned over the ball and Portlaoise counter-attacked at speed.

Portlaoise 0-3 St Vincent’s 0-1: 8 mins – Paul Cahillane puts Portlaoise lead as he smashes the ball over the bar from close-range. Then Brian Glynn lofts over a fine point from distance. Good start from the Laois champions.

Goal chance for St Vincent’s as Eamon Fennell barges through but his shot is tipped into the side-netting by goalkeeper Michael Nolan. ’45 for St Vincent’s.

Quinn strikes the ’45 wide with Portlaoise going up the other end and being off-target through Brian ‘Bruno’ McCormack. Portlaoise have been wild in some of their shooting so far.

Portlaoise 0-3 St Vincent’s 0-2: 15 mins – Gavin Burke is fouled and the free is slotted over by Tomás Quinn.

Portlaoise 0-4 St Vincent’s 0-2: 17 mins – And Portlaoise quickly restore their two-point advantage with Paul Cahillane curling over a free.

St Vincent’s still waiting for their first score from play in this game.

Goal for St Vincent’s from Ciaran Dorney!

St Vincent’s 1-2 Portlaoise 0-4: 19 mins – Eventually St Vincent’s probing pays off as they prise apart the Portlaoise rearguard. Ruairi Trainor offloaded to Diarmuid Connolly and he floated a lovely left-foot pass over to Gavin Burke. Rather than tapping over a point, Burke passed in to Ciaran Dorney and he engineered the space to roll the ball to the net. Dorney has shown good goalscoring instincts throughout this season for St Vincent’s.

St Vincent’s 1-3 Portlaoise 0-4: 20 mins – Moments after getting their first score from play in the game, St Vincent’s hit their first point from play. It’s Tomás Quinn who taps over a point after he did brilliantly to rise to keep the ball from going wide and then quickly converted the chance.

Ruairi Trainor hits St Vincent’s second goal!

St Vincent’s 2-3 Portlaoise 0-4: 23 mins – St Vincent’s hit the net again. Good team move with Gavin Burke and Eamon Fennell involved before Ruairi Trainor accelerated clear of the defence and finished with aplomb to the net.

St Vincent’s 2-4 Portlaoise 1-4: 25 mins – Goal for Portlaoise from Craig Rogers.

Gavin Burke had previously pointed for St Vincent’s before Rogers finds the net after a long speculative ball was claimed behind the defence by the Portlaoise wing-forward. He then netted from a tight angle.

Penalty to Portlaoise after Craig Rogers was fouled.

Portlaoise 2-4 St Vincent’s 2-4: 27 mins – Cracking finish to the top corner of the net by Craig Rogers from the resultant penalty. Jarlath Curley had fouled him and the St Vincent’s full-back was booked subsequently.

St Vincent’s 2-5 Portlaoise 2-4: 28 mins – This game has exploded into life. Ruairi Trainor kicks over a point after the goal frenzy.

St Vincent’s 2-5 Portlaoise 2-5: 31 mins – First-half injury-time and Paul Cahillane curls over a beautiful point for Portlaoise.

HALF-TIME: St Vincent’s 2-5 Portlaoise 2-5: All square at the break in Tullamore.

We’ll take a breather after that. St Vincent’s looked to have made a decisive burst when Ciaran Dorney and Ruairi Trainor fired goals. They were 2-4 to 0-4 clear at one juncture but a brace of goals from Craig Rogers have brought Portlaoise back into contention.

St Vincent’s 2-5 Portlaoise 2-6: The second half is underway and Portlaoise claim the first point of the half immediately through Brian Smith.

St Vincent’s 2-6 Portlaoise 2-6: We’re level again as Tomas Quinn comfortably slots over a free.

Goal for Portlaoise!

St Vincent’s 2-6 Portlaoise 3-6: Glynn finishes superbly after a well-worked move from Portlaoise.

Goal for Vincent’s!

Portlaoise 3-7 St Vincent’s 3-7: Ciaran Dorney points to tie the game.

Shane Carthy had earlier goaled for St Vincent’s. Really exciting stuff here.

Subs with Tiernan Diamond in for St Vincent’s instead of Ruairi Trainor while Eoin Whelan comes on for Portlaoise for Brian Mulligan.

Six goal thriller here so far as we get set for the final quarter.

Portlaoise 3-8 St Vincents 3-8: Brilliant point by Brian McCormack edges Portlaoise ahead before Mossy Quinn levels the game with a point.

Cameroin Diamond is gone off the St Vincents team with Kevin Bonnie coming in to the action.

Portlaoise 3-9 St Vincents 3-8: Craig Rogers knocks over a free to send Portlaoise back in front.

Ten minutes left here.

St Vincents 3-9 Portlaoise 3-9: 51 mins – Mossy Quinn brings the teams level again as he converts a free for St Vincents. Does extra time beckon?

St Vincents 3-10 Portlaoise 3-9: 56 mins – Big point from Mossy Quinn from play after a strong break upfield by Ger Brennan.

St Vincents 3-11 Portlaoise 3-9: Diarmuid Connolly hits his first point of the game at a crucial stage.

Kevin Fitzpatrick on for Portlaoise for Paul Cahillane.

Nathan Mullins on for St Vincents for Gavin Burke.

We’re in injury time here.

St Vincents 3-12 Portlaoise 3-9: Mossy Quinn floats over a point.

Final score – St Vincents 3-12 Portlaoise 3-9: The Vincent’s players are ecstatic. It’s tough on Portlaoise who played a big part in what was a memorable final.

Right, that’s all from us for now.

Thanks for reading and commenting, and congrats to new Leinster champions St Vincent’s.

Hectic: Mossy Quinn played 5 club games in the 22 days after daughter was born

Laois club owe millions and battle debt but contest tomorrow’s Leinster final

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