Second-half heroics not enough as O’Dempsey’s beaten by Portarlington in Laois SFC

Portarlington have begun their 2024 Laois Shopping Centre Senior Football Championship campaign with a well-earned three-point victory over O’Dempsey’s in the LOETB Centre of Excellence this evening.

The 2020,2021 and 2022 champions looked to be easing to victory when they led by nine points with 38 minutes played but Eoin Kearns’ O’Dempsey’s side kept plugging away and reduced their lead to one but it was too little too late in the end.

Portarlington 1-16

O’Dempsey’s 2-10

Pat Roe’s Portarlington dominated the early proceedings with O’Dempsey’s not able to get a hand on them and when they did, they were giving away frees. The opening score of the contest was from a placed ball as Jake Foster pointed a free after he was fouled in the opening minute. Foster was fouled for the second Portarlington score too with Ronan Coffey stepping up this time around to point the free off his right foot.

Mark Barry finally got O’Dempsey’s off the mark as he replied instantly from Coffey’s free. Foster added a second score to his name this time from play. Dan McCormack was operating on the edge of the Portarlington square and it paid dividends as he caught a long ball and turned his man before raising a white flag. Portarlington tapped over two scores on the trot as Foster pointed a free while Sean Michael Corcoran got his name on the scoresheet.

Mark Barry curled over a second score off his left foot with O’Dempsey’s corner-back Stephen Lennon getting a superb score as he kicked the ball high and over the black spot. Foster and Ryan Phelan traded points with Phelan’s coming after an inch-perfect kick-out from Podge Bannon landed into the hands of Stephen Lennon which set up Phelan to slot the ball over. Ronan Coffey raised the final white flag of the first half as Portarlington led 0-7 to 0-5 at the break.

Portarlington came flying out of the blocks in the second period as they fired over the first five scores of the half with the fifth one being a goal to put them nine points ahead. Rioghan Murphy opened his account with a point from play and a mark after an assist from Ronan Coffey. The latter then pointed a free before Murphy added a third point to his game. Jake Foster’s attempt at goal then looped over the head of Podge Bannon in the O’Dempsey’s net.

The score was now 1-11 and 0-5 with Pat Roe’s side looking home and hosed with 2 minutes to go. That wouldn’t be the case however as O’Dempsey’s kept plugging away and the long ball into McCormack was reaping its rewards.

Eoin Finlay (free) and Murphy traded scores just before Darragh Galvin had a chance 1-on-1 to wrap up the game but his effort was superbly saved by Bannon. O’Dempsey’s then hit 1-2 without reply as Brian Nugent’s ball in was palmed into the net by McCormack. Barry pointed a free while Ben Coen also raised a white flag either side of the goal.

Colin Slevin came off the bench to score for Portarlington as Barry added yet another point to his tally. Curtis Lyons added a point for Portarlington before Eoin Finlay reacted quickest to a breaking ball and buried the ball into the Portarlington net.

A single point separated the sides when Barry kicked a free in the 59th minute but to their credit Portarlington went up the other end to score courtesy of Corey Lyons and Colin Slevin. Portarlington finished the game with 14 men as Rioghan Murphy was shown a black card late on but it didn’t matter in the end as Portarlington held on for a well-deserved victory.