Cahillane too hot to handle for livid Clara
Monday November 30 2009
Former Irish soccer youth international Paul Cahillane showed that he possesses the talents to make a name for himself in football, providing a match-winning contribution as Portlaoise eased their way into the final on Saturday.
But Clara manager Pat Flanagan was not happy with the performance of referee, Joe Curley, claiming that "the smaller teams don't get the calls".
A couple of years ago, Cahillane seemed destined for a bright future with Glasgow Celtic, but his career stalled under Gordon Strachan's management and he returned home last year.
Laois boss Sean Dempsey will certainly have taken note of the 20-year-old left-footer's cultured finishing at O'Moore Park, three points from play complementing a deadly conversion from a penalty. Portlaoise upped the tempo after that 36th-minute goal pushed them four points clear and they dominated from thereon, restricting Clara to just a point while adding six of their own to win comfortably.
However, it might all have been different had John Reynolds converted a 19th-minute penalty for Clara.
leading
At that stage, the Offaly champions were leading by a point, courtesy of scores from former Dublin minor John O'Hara and Thomas Deehan (free) in response to Cahillane's opener.
Reynolds shot just wide of the left upright, but Flanagan was incensed that Portlaoise goalkeeper, Mickey Nolan, had managed to get away with a yellow card for hauling Deehan down with the net gaping.
"It's always difficult to take defeat but a defeat in those circumstances was very difficult to take," said Flanagan. "The scoreline reflects that Portlaoise beat us out of the park. On the balance of the last 20 minutes that's exactly what happened but there were a couple of decisions that gave them the momentum to go on.
"The (Portlaoise) penalty decision was number one, but the other penalty decision too, with fellas taken clean out of the game. How a guy can be left on the pitch after that, I can't understand it.
"It's always a case where the smaller teams don't get the calls. It was a definite goal had he not been brought down."
Portlaoise boss John Mulligan agreed that had Reynolds found the net it would have been a much more difficult encounter for his team, but he felt that they had the character to come back from anything.
"We went out with the intention that we would not give up the ghost today. We went to do a job and stick with the game plan," Mulligan said.
Not even the introduction of Joe Quinn, making his first appearance since being seriously ill earlier this year, could inspire the Offaly men and insult was added to injury with the late dismissal of Stephen Deehan.
Clara began impressively and Thomas Deehan escaped the clutches of Cahir Healy on a number of occasions, but failed to convert possession into scores. Of course Nolan's intercession denied him a certain goal.
Two frees from Fitzgerald gave the Laois champions the lead at the break and when the same player was adjudged to have been fouled, Cahillane rifled the resultant penalty to the net.
Stephen Deehan registered Clara's first score for 21 minutes to reduce the margin to that goal but they wouldn't trouble the scorekeeper again. Peter McNulty and Cahillane slotted a brace of points for Portlaoise, while subs Brian Smyth and Jack Fennell also got on the scoresheet.
Scorers -- Portlaoise: P Cahillane 1-3 (1-0 pen), B Fitzgerald (2f), P McNulty 0-2 each, B Smyth, J Fennell 0-1 each Clara: J O'Hara, T Deehan (1f), S Deehan 0-1 each.
Portlaoise -- M Nolan; E Bland, M McNulty, C Healy; K Lillis, K Fitzpatrick, B Mulligan; A Fennelly, B McCormack; B Fitzgerald, P McNulty, B Glynn; P Cahillane, C Byrne, C Rogers. Subs: B Smyth for Fitzpatrick (h-t), C Boyle for Byrne (57), C Higgins for Mulligan (60), J Fennell for Fitzgerald (60).
Clara -- K Meehan; D Kelly, A Cronin, D Baggot; P Mitchell, M Mitchell, L Hiney; S Brady, G Guilfoyle; T Dalton, J O'Hara, J Reynolds; E Brady, S Deehan, T Deehan. Subs: J Quinn for Baggott (42), P Deehan for O'Hara (44), M Rosney for Cronin (54), J Ledwith for P Mitchell (57).
Ref -- J Curley (Meath).
Irish Independent
