Yellow Fever lays Clondalkin low

Chris Farmboy Kelly on his way to his 3rd try of the season.
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Towns Plate
Portarlington 25 Clondalkin 20
Jonny Stapleton

Clondalkin were left seeing red in Edenderry last Saturday, after three late yellow cards enabled opponents Portarlington to come back from the brink of defeat, claim victory and prevent the Gordon Park side from booking a place in their first ever Towns Plate Final.

Clon had produced a brilliant second half performance to transform an eight point deficit into a nine point advantage and were firmly in the driving seat with under ten minutes to go.

However, just when it looked like a rampant and dominant Clondalkin were going to go on and register a comfortable win, the referee was forced to produce three yellow cards in the dying moments.

Portarlington took full advantage and punished Clon for their rugby sins staging a dramatic come back to bring to an end another successful Clondalkin season.

“It was a disappointing way to end the season and we are upset after the defeat. Especially the manner, in which it came,” Clondalkin Club Captain Connor Maloney explained after the game.

“With just 13 and then 12 men in the last few minutes we were going to find it hard but we never gave up, and it has really been a great season for the first team and the Club in general. We consolidated our position in Division 2 and in our first year at this level proved we are able to compete. We have fielded four teams over the season with a third team doing brilliantly in the league. Plus we have also had great success in fielding underage teams. It all bodes well for the future,” the prop added.

Both sides made a tentative start to the game and there was no real pattern to the game early on. After a bout of rugby tennis Portarlington eventually began to take advantage of the favourable wind to dominate.

The Laois outfit were wining the territory battle and eventually took the lead via a penalty. They continued to dominate over the next few minutes and looked to put width on the ball regularly.

Clon seemed a little rushed in possession and were second best at the break down but they never really looked like conceding. The hurried approach that was having a negative affect on their attack, however wasn’t apparent in defence.

The local side looked composed and well organised without the ball and the likes of Philly Byrne, Alan Hickey, Chris Kelly, Alaric Collier, Tom Duffy and Simon King amongst others registered high hit counts and ensured Clons line remained intact.

But Portarlington eventually broke the Clon resolve and went further ahead creating a mismatch in the back line and exploiting it well to go eight to good.

A yellow card for out-half Alan Hickey meant Clon remained on the back foot, but some poor penalty kicking and some excellent Clondalkin defending ensured the score board remained unchanged.

Clondalkin did comeback into the tie and began assert themselves going forward. The Kingswood residents were dominating the set piece and any time they took the ball into contact they made yards. Their Division 2 counterparts certainly didn’t relish Clon’s physicality.

Byrne, Brian ‘Bruiser’ Doyle, Alan O’Brien, Gary Donnelly and Paul McDermott, who continues to impress since returning from injury, all made decent breaks but the final ball just never came off and Clondalkin went into the interval trailing by 8-0.

Clon came out all guns blazing in the second period, and on the neutral venue declared rugby war on Port.

Kicks for the corner gave them territory and some brilliant line out work from Paul Nolan and Seany Brennan ensured Clondalkin had possession regardless of whose throw in it was.

The Clondalkin scrum was also impressive and provided a regular platform of attack. And it wasn’t long before Clon reduced the deficit via the reliable boot of Judes footballer Steve Cunningham after Duffy and Byrne were both just stopped short of the line.

Clon continued to pile on the pressure and didn’t just set up camp in the opposition 22 but built a permanent home there.

And after threatening on numerous occasions Chris Kelly, another one of the clubs underage graduates to impress this season, eventually crossed the white wash for his third try of the season. Kelly benefited from a quick tap penalty after Clon had overturned another scrum and won a penalty.

Cunningham converted a touch line hugging effort to but Clondalkin 10-8 up.

It wasn’t long before Clondalkin extended that advantage. Mark Molloy, who replaced the injured Al O’Brien, sent in another beautiful kick to put Clon right on the oppositions five metre line. Nolan once again robbed the throw and after Brennan, Byrne and Nolan himself probed Dan Fitzpatrick powered over the line.

The big lock picked from the base of a ruck pirouetted like a ballerina when faced with one challenge before electing to take the direct route to glory bulldozing his way through the Port defence to touch down. Cunningham again converted to make it 17-8 in favour of the Dublin team.

Chris Kelly came within inches of finishing the game off straight from the restart after great work from Fitzpatrick and Molloy, and it looked like Clon were going to run riot.

Portarlington looked ragged and dejected, but a Duffy yellow card gave them a lifeline. They took full advantage of the extra space and created and exploited an over lap to get back into the tie. Paul Nolan, who has registered more hits than you tube this year, then made a super cover tackle to prevent the Laois outfit from regaining the lead. But the back rows tackle was on delaying the inevitable as Portarlington registered a carbon copy score to go a point ahead with just five minutes to go.

Alaric Collier, who scored a brilliant try in the opening round of the competition, then saw red for killing the ball and Clon were down to 13. Their opponents then scored their third try in seven minutes to all but end Clons comeback hopes. Cunningham did manage a late penalty after Simon King joined the yellow card brigade on the sidelines. But it was a case of too little too late and Clon exited the Towns Plate at the penultimate stage.

Added by Murts April 20, 2009 (4:26PM)

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