Laois SFC Final: Replay required following dramatic draw

Laois SFC Final

Courtwood 2-12 Portarlington 1-15

By Alan Hartnett at Laois Hire O'Moore Park

Courtwood and Portarlington must do it all again after they played out a thrilling draw in the Laois Shopping Centre SFC final.

This was a classic encounter which swung one way and then the other - with a draw probably the fair result.

Courtwood went in trailing by three points at half time, but how they weren't at least level was simply unbelievable.

They took 18 shots and only scored from five of them. They smothered the Portarlington kick out and created four great goal opportunities, but only converted one.

Portarlington were far more economical, but they were five points down after 12 minutes.

Courtwood got the first two scores from Sean O'Flynn and Cian Doyle before losing Jake Doyle to a black card in the seventh minute.

Jake Foster opened Port's account, but Matthew Byron struck back with a free before Courtwood added a goal.

A short kick out went straight to Niall Donoher and he fed Ryan Little who crashed a shot off the crossbar.

The rebound came back to Paul O'Flynn and he looped a shot that landed in the corner of the net to make it 1-3 to 0-1.

Portarlington responded with a point from Paddy O'Sullivan and then the gap was back to one at the midpoint of the half.

A long ball in was gathered by Jake Foster, who smashed to the net.

Colm Murphy then struck a two-pointer from play in the 17th minute which gave Port the lead for the first time in the game.

Daragh Galvin and Ryan Little then exchanged scores before points from Ronan Coffey and Colm Murphy made it 1-7 to 1-4 at half time.

In between that, Courtwood had two great goal chances for Alan Kinsella and Paul O'Flynn but both were thwarted by incredible blocks from Robbie Pigott and Sean Byrne.

Courtwood introduced Mark O'Halloran at half time and his first action saw the deficit reduced to two.

They were reduced to 14 men in the 35th minute when Paul O'Flynn was black carded for a foul on Rioghan Murphy.

Portarlington added two scores straight after through Ronan Coffey and Paddy O'Sullivan but Courtwood kept in touch via a Matthew Byron two point free.

And then he drew them level when he repeated the trick in 41st minute to make it 1-9 apiece.

Colm Murphy then regained the lead for Portarlington with a free as Paul O'Flynn returned to the pitch for the final quarter.

Colm Murphy put three between them with a two point free, but Ryan Little's second cut it to two again with 53 minutes played.

Jordan Fitzpatrick then scored before Courtwood had a brilliant goal chance but Luke O'Reilly saved well from Sean O'Flynn before Alan Kinsella punched over the rebound.

But with their next attack, Courtwood did score a goal as Alan Kinsella got in one and one and buried it past O'Reilly to give his side a one point lead.

Four minutes of injury time were signalled as Portarlington drew level via Paddy O'Sullivan after a quickly taken 45.

Rioghan Murphy then put Portarlington ahead, but Cian Doyle won a free with 30 seconds to go which Dylan Keane pointed.

Scorers for Portarlington: Colm Murphy 0-6 (1 2pt, 1 2ptf, 1f), Jake Foster 1-1, Paddy O'Sullivan 0-3, Ronan Coffey 0-2, Rioghan Murphy, Daragh Galvin and Jordan Fitzpatrick 0-1 each

Scorers for Courtwood: Matthew Byron 0-5 (2 2ptfs, 1f), Alan Kinsella 1-1, Paul O'Flynn 1-0, Ryan Little 0-2, Dylan Keane (f), Sean O'Flynn, Cian Doyle and Mark O'Halloran 0-1 each

Portarlington: Luke O'Reilly; Mikey Bennett, Robbie Pigott, Curtis Lyons; Alex Mohan, Jason Moore, Paddy O'Sullivan; Keith Bracken, Sean Byrne; Darragh Slevin, Ronan Coffey, Rioghan Murphy; Colm Murphy, Daragh Galvin, Jake Foster.

Subs: Eoin McCann for Bracken (45 blood, reversed 51), Jordan Fitzpatrick for Slevin (46).

Courtwood: Matthew Byron; Darragh McEvoy, Daniel Boland, Adam O'Halloran; Jake Doyle, Niall Dunne, Eoghan Slattery; Sean O'Flynn, Rob Tyrrell; Rob Flynn, Cian Doyle, Paul O'Flynn; Niall Donoher, Ryan Little, Alan Kinsella.

Subs: Mark O'Halloran for McEvoy (HT), Dylan Keane for J Doyle (48), Michael Doyle for P O'Flynn (55).

Referee: Seamus Mulhare (The Heath).