Portlaoise overcome Navan in Towns Cup

Provincial Towns Cup Round 1

Portlaoise put their poor league form behind them and put in their best performance of the year to see off the Navan challenge in Togher on Sunday. This Towns Cup win had a sense of deja vu about it as 2023 is the 20th anniversary of Portlaoise last winning the Towns Cup, and it was Navan they beat in that final. 

Portlaoise 28

Navan 10

Portlaoise took the early advantage when team captain Robin Foot started and finished a move that led to him crossing the line for the game’s opening try in the sixth minute. Mark Mullally, whose kicking was sublime all day, added the extras. 

Eight minutes later, Navan were right back in the game after they won a penalty. They elected to take the tap and the ball was whipped out to the right wing where William McAleese touched down. 

The next 15 minutes or so were very evenly contested but with neither side looking like scoring. That changed approaching the half-hour mark when Navan were penalised for being off side and Mullally split the posts. 

Portlaoise really should have added to their tally on the break of half time. Having been awarded a penalty on the Navan line, they elected to tap and run, but were stopped short and another penalty awarded. Again they elected to tap and this time lost the ball and the whistle for half time was blown with them leading 10-5. 

In truth, they should have taken the soft three points on offer and they hope was that decision would not be regretted later as the game wore on. In the end it did not matter but Portlaoise had learned their lesson. 

Thirteen minutes into the new half centre Josh Akanji made a storing run into the heart of the Navan defence where his progress was halted by a high tackle. This time there was no debate, Mullally kicked the three-pointer. 

Navan then grew more into the game but when Portlaoise did manage to break down field Navan were caught off side and against Mullally split the posts to leave the hosts leading 16-5 heading into the final quarter. 

Any confidence Portlaoise might have felt was soon tested when a Navan breakaway saw Andrew Beggy tear down the right wing and score. The conversion was missed but the gap was back to six points with 19 minutes remaining. 

Navan prop Ian Carolan was sinbinned and Portlaoise took full advantage, running in two tries in his absence. Portlaoise turned over the ball and found touch. Ronal Donlon stole the Navan throw and in the ensuing maul it was the same player who got the touchdown. Mullally converted from close to the sidle and now the gap was out to 13 points. 

Any hopes Navan may have harboured of pulling this one out of the fire were well and trull quashed in the 68th minute. Portlaoise worked the ball to the right where Jack Reddin deftly kicked ahead, was then fastest to the ball, controlled it with his foot and got down to score the try. This time Mullally was wide off the mark, but it did not matter. Portlaoise were into a second round meeting with Enniscorthy away from home. 

PORTLAOISE: John Scully, Jamie Holohan, Josh Akanji, Thomas Martin, Kade Rennie; Jack Reddin, Mark Mullally; Paddy Coss, Craig Telford, Harry Lalor; Ronan Donlon, Mark Sherlock; Glen Connolly, Robin Foot, Ross Cooper. 

Replacements: Sean Hennessy, Shane Reilly, Dylan Kelly, Dara Phelan, Matthew Coonan

NAVAN: Sean Walsh, William McAleese, Harry Hester, Riaan Van Der Vyver, Brian Byrne; Cormac Horan, Cillian Fartell; Gary Faulkner, Dara McHugh, Ian Carolan; Rokas Lipinskas, Ian Rickard; Ciaran O’Reilly, Harry Conlon, Andrew Beggy. 

Replacements: Eoin O’Reilly, Cian Twomey, Stephen O’Neill, Liam McAree