Tullamore to miss out on Junior Cup

A disappointing result for Tullamore in their final league game of the season and results elsewhere made the win a disappointing day also for the home side. This defeat leaves Tullamore finishing 5th in the league and therefore not a qualifier for the All-Ireland Junior Cup in 2010. Portlaoise, by finishing 9th, are outside the top eight who qualify for the Premier Division next season. All is not lost if league winners Navan qualify for the AIL, as such a scenario will move both clubs up a place for next season. The game was a very tight and tense affair and only loosened up in stages with individual feats by a few players on both sides and in particular by Portlaoise No 9 Jamie Kavanagh. Portlaoise opened the scoring with a penalty after 4 minutes and the next 20 minutes were dominated by tactical kicking by both sides. Gearoid O"Grady struck a penalty after 27 minutes to tie the scores. Tullamore were lucky to escape when a last minute foot trip prevented the home side scoring after a 50 metre break. Rob Connor, a tireless performer for Tullamore, was held up just short of the line but Tullamore broke the deadlock when Gearoid broke the gain line, put in a grubber kick to the try line and won the race to the line to score the opening try. He then converted it from the touchline to leave Tullamore leading 10-3 at half-time. Within three minutes of the restart, Jamie Kavanagh kicked a penalty when Tullamore were penalized for handling in the ruck. Portlaoise took the lead 10 minutes later when their pack pushed the Tullamore eight over their own line from a 5 metre scrum. Kavanagh again converted. After missing a penalty Kavanagh made up for it with a brilliant drop goal on the 26-minute mark. Tullamore dug deep and forced play into the home side"s 22 and when Gearoid made another break Polongo Pedro was in support to burst through and score a try which Gearoid converted to put Tullamore back in the lead by a single point. As the clock slowly clicked to full-time Portlaoise made one last effort and as Jamie Kavanagh slotted into the out-half position every one in the ground knew what was about to happen, and it did as he administered the killer blow with his second drop goal to regain the lead for Portlaoise. The home side finished with a try deep in injury-time. With two cup competitions still to be played for Tullamore will need to regroup and hopefully Aaron Deverell and Dave Hanlon will return from injury. Dave was a big loss considering the other second row Ivor Deverell is out for the season. Very few Tullamore players can be satisfied with their performance with the exception of the tearaway Rob Connor and Colin Finnerty who brought a huge physical presence to the pack. Richie Hughes was very confident at full-back and dealt very well with everything that was kicked at the defence. Provincial 2nds League Division 1 Portlaoise 15 Tullamore 10 More disappointment as this defeat means that Portlaoise go above Tullamore in the league table to win it by a single point. On the day the home side deserved the win and gained revenge for the cup defeat by Tullamore a few weeks earlier. This game was decided in the first 12 minutes when Portlaoise scored two tries, converting one to lead 12-0. Once they settled Tullamore gave as good as the got against a very physical home pack. It took Tullamore 36 minutes to register a score that was a penalty from Paul White. Tullamore were marginally the better side in the second half but it was Portlaoise who scored first with a penalty after 17 minutes. The sin binning of a Tullamore forward did not help the cause and it was not until injury time until Tullamore got in for a try. Jimmy O"Connell was the scorer and Paul White converted but the final whistle sounded shortly afterwards. NEXT WEEKEND 1ST TEAM are home to Athy in the second round of the Newstalk Provincial Towns Cup on Sunday with a 3pm K.O. 2ND TEAM are away to Edenderry in the second round of the Provincial 2NDs Cup on Saturday with a 3pm K.O. U-18s are home to Ashbourne in the Leinster Culliton Cup on Saturday wit a 2.30pm K.O.