Waterford Intermediate Football Championship Final
Portlaw 1-8
Dungarvan 1-6
Portlaw are Waterford intermediate football champions for 2021, as they saw off a late purple patch from defending champions Dungarvan to book their return to the senior ranks.
Noel Mackey’s men were two points down early on at the Gold Coast venue but battled back to gather a lead they would never allow Dungarvan to assume.
Before the game, a minute of silence was impeccably observed by all present as a mark of respect to the late Pat Hunt, who sadly passed away on Friday.
Dungarvan had the better of the opening phases and it was their star man, Joe Allen, who opened the scoring in the fifth minute - pointing a well-taken free from the right flank.
The same man had the Old Boro two to the good a moment later when he went on a slaloming run and slipped the ball between the posts.
In truth, that was the of the few points in the game where Dungarvan were in control.
Portlaw were the better side on the afternoon and they nearly raised a green flag before registering a point - Luke Woods seeing his effort cannon back off the upright when he tried to sneak the ball into the near top corner.
Midfielder Luke Woods had a fine game and he opened Portlaw’s tally before captain Michael Donnelly levelled the game on 13 minutes with a free.
The same man gave Port Cladách the lead for the first time on 18 minutes when he rode a challenge well and fired home from distance, before Jordan O’Sullivan doubled the lead with a well-taken score from close range.
Those were to prove the last points of a relatively tame first half - the only other notable incident being a fine Chris Mackey save to deny Gavin Crotty - but the game would burst into life upon the resumption.
Dungarvan brought in Kieran Power at the break as they sought to assert themselves but they were five points down within two minutes.
Portlaw worked the ball nicely and created an overload, with the ball laid off to Luke Woods who crashed a low driven effort past a stranded Mark Boland for the game’s first goal.
Colm Curran chipped in with a responding point almost immediately, but that was Dungarvan’s first score in 27 minutes.
Despite that, in the blink of an eye, the Old Boro hit a purple patch and moved level.
Joe Allen managed to wriggle some room in a crowd and crashed home a sweetly struck finish into the bottom right corner to make it a one point affair on 34 minutes.
He then split the posts in the next passage of play and it was 1-4 apiece, Allen accounting for 1-3 of Dungarvan’s tally.
John Power entered the action for Portlaw and restored the lead for the Easterners with a free from the left before Michael Donnelly added value to it with similar style from the right.
Mackey then made another fine stop to deny Colm Curran in the corner, after fine work from Jamie Nagle saw the Westerners surge upfield.
Full forward Frank Galvin spun and pointed as Portlaw moved three to the good with twelve minutes left on the clock.
Dungarvan were up against it on the sideboard and numerically as Waterford footballer Michael Kiely was given his marching orders by referee Tadhg Tobin for a second yellow on 50 minutes.
Darragh Lyons was blooded as Dungarvan went in search of goal and Kieran Power very nearly struck gold when his dipping shot came crashing off the top off the crossbar when it looked destined for the top left corner.
Michael Donnelly and Gavin Crotty traded scores but the Portlaw rearguard, marshalled bu the man of the match Darren Rockett held firm.
There were jubilant scenes as Tobin’s whistle sounded - Portlaw deserved champions, and back in senior football.
Portlaw 1-8 Dungarvan 1-6, on a golden day at the Gold Coast.
Dungarvan: Mark Boland; Conor Sheridan, Kealan Daly, Gavin Power; Jamie Nagle, John Curran, Jack Lacey; Colm Curran, Darren Duggan; Joe Duggan, Michael Kiely, Joe Allen; Cathal Curran, Gavin Crotty, Kevin Moore.
Subs: Kieran Power for Joe Duggan (HT); Darragh Lyons for Kenny Moore (36); Luke O’Callaghan for Cathal Curran (45)
Scorers: Joe Allen (1-3); Gavin Crotty, Kieran Power and Colm Curran (0-1 each)
Portlaw: Christopher Mackey; Jack O’Connell, Peter Boylan, Jack Behan; James Rooney, Darren Rockett, Jack Boylan; Luke Woods, DJ Foran; Jordan O’Sullivan, Michael Donnelly, John Dee; Peter Woods, Frank Galvin, Darryl Walsh
Subs: Jamie Murphy for James Rooney (5); John Power for Peter Woods (40)
Scorers: Luke Woods (1-1); Michael Donnelly (0-4; 3f); Jordan O’Sullivan, Frank Galvin, John Power (0-1 each)
Referee: Tadhg Tobin (Brickey Rangers)
