Portlaoise defeat Ballyfin to return to the Senior Hurling grade for 2024

Portlaoise are heading back up to the Senior Hurling Championship for the first time since 2019 after a dominant nine-point win over Ballyfin in O’Moore Park on Sunday afternoon. 

It’s been a long awaited final with several delays in waiting for Portlaoise’s semi-final, thus delaying this game by a fortnight. 

PORTLAOISE 0-19 

BALLYFIN 0-10 

Tommy Fitzgerald’s side have been undefeated in all games they’ve played coming into this one and they kept up that form with an impressive display over Ballyfin. 

Portlaoise caught fire early in the game with four points in the opening three minutes, but Paul Cuddy’s Ballyfin side battled their way back into contention and trailed by just a point at half time. 

The Town got another run at them early in the second half and hit five in a row, and truth be told Ballyfin never looked like clawing back the deficit. 

Goal chances were few and far between in the game, and Portlaoise continued to pick off points throughout the second half to keep their opponents at bay. 

Portlaoise enjoyed a good start to the game as they flew into a four-point lead after just three minutes. David O’Mahony opened the scoring with an excellent score from the 45 and Aaron Bergin soon followed with a free. 

Cathal Duggan struck from the left wing and Bergin pointed from play to make it four. 

Eamon Duff got the first for Ballyfin from a free before trading scores from play with Conor Raggett and Portlaoise led by three after six minutes. 

There was just one scoring over the next 13 minutes and that came from Conor Brown to put The Town four ahead.  

Eanna Lyons got his first of the game with an expertly struck sideline cut over the bar from inside the 45 on 19 minutes and that started a flurry of scores as Bergin and Brown both pointed for Portlaoise and Kevin O’Rourke hit back for Ballyfin. 

Both sides began to lose their aim in the final 10 minutes of the half and hit numerous wides. 

Ballyfin trailed by three but started to get the upper hand and showed more attacking intent, resulting in two pointed frees for Duff. 

The gap was cut to a single point in injury time when Ballyfin were awarded another free outside of scoring range, but the ball was brought up 10 yards for dissent and Duff split the posts brilliantly before the whistle blew. 

The second half started in a similar fashion to the first as Portlaoise flew out of the blocks once again, although bettering their first half run of four in a row with five. 

Aaron Bergin got the opening two, one free and one a 65 and Cian Taylor added the third with a good score from play under pressure. 

Dylan Sheehan and Cormac Rigney added to Ballyfin’s woes with two fantastic efforts from distance as Portlaoise really gained the upper hand. 

Duff finally got Ballyfin off the mark 12 minutes into the half with a free in front of the posts, but Eddie Crithley fired one back on the run off his hurl from the 65. 

The game was beginning to lose all intensity, despite a half chance at goal for Ballyfin and Bergin split the posts with another free to put seven between the teams with 10 minutes left to play. 

Ballyfin’s ill-discipline continued to cost them as Bergin hit another brace of frees over, all but ending Ballyfin’s chances in the final five minutes. 

Duff got a pair of consolation points for his side before Bergin got his ninth point of the game. 

Conor Brown capped off an excellent individual performance with his third point from play and rounded off a comprehensive nine-point win for Portlaoise. 

Next up for Portlaoise is a trip to Wicklow to face Bray Emmet’s, a well known foe of Laois teams as they defeated Abbeyleix last year and Castletown in 2016.