Goals were key as reigning All-Ireland Club SFC champions St Vincent’s booked a Leinster semi-final berth, after a 3-11 to 0-10 win over Portlaoise in O'Moore Park.
Half-forward Shane Carthy bagged 2-02, all from play, including two second-half goals, in a game in which the Dublin side did not trail.
Vincent’s led by 1-02 to 0-00 after just four minutes, with Tomás Quinn netting an early goal, and although Portlaoise cut the gap to the minimum before the break, Vincent’s came out strongly.
Portlaoise claimed just two points in the third quarter, with Craig Rogers and Paul Cahillane on target from frees, as Vincent’s moved 3-06 to 0-08 in front.
Cahillane worked hard for Portlaoise, but Vincent’s finished strongly with substitute Cormac Diamond bagging two late scores.
With just three points separating the sides when they met in the Leinster final last year, it was expected that another tight affair would be produced.
Both sides registered goals on three occasions on that December afternoon in Tullamore, but in O’Moore Park, it was the hosts who failed to create any real goal chances this time around.
Portlaoise were boosted by the inclusion of Zach Tuohy in their starting line-up, but the Aussie Rules player only managed one point over the hour, after a keen tussle with Ger Brennan.
Vincent’s meant business from the off, and quickly found their rhythm, with Quinn and Diarmuid Connolly registering early points, before Quinn’s goal pushed the Marino men 1-02 to 0-00 clear.
Vincent’s were more fluid throughout the first quarter, and although Paul Cahillane edged Portlaoise back with a brace of points from play, Quinn’s goal separated the sides after 15 minutes.
Ruairi Treanor edged Vincent’s 1-03 to 0-02 ahead after 19 and a half minutes, but Portlaoise were strongest before the break, outscoring their opponents by 0-04 to 0-01, with Tuohy, Cahillane, Rogers and Brian McCormack to cut the gap to a point at the turnaround.
But Vincent’s meant business and emerged strongly on the restart.
Carthy bagged the first of his two goals in a 10-minute spell, after initial good work by Quinn and Diarmuid Connolly, ended with the former New York minor finishing the ball to the Portlaoise net.
Quinn and Carthy added further points, as Portlaoise scores were hard to come by.
Rogers broke the deadlock, with his second point arriving in the 41st minute, but Carthy’s second goal arrived less than two minutes later, and from then on there only looked like one winner.
Cahillane tried hard for Portlaoise, but his scores were confined to placed balls late on.
Portlaoise’s woes were further compounded 10 minutes from the end with the loss of Kieran Lillis on a black card, as Vincent’s finished with three of the final four points, including two from substitute Cormac Diamond to ensure a 10-point win.
St Vincent’s will now face Garrycastle in the semi-final at Parnell Park on 23 November.
St Vincent's: M Savage; K Bonnie, J Curley, H Gill; B Egan, G Brennan, M Concarr; E Fennell, D Murphy; G Burke, D Connolly (0-02, 1f), S Carthy (2-02) ; R Treanor (0-02), C Dorney, T Quinn (1-03, 2f).
Subs: Camoron Diamond for Murphy (42); Cormac Diamond (0-02) for Dorney (46); T Diarmond for Burke (55); M Loftus for Treanor (60).
Portlaoise: M Nolan; D Seale, P Cotter, B Mulligan; E Whelan, C Healy, C Boyle; Z Tuohy (0-01), S Nerney; K Lillis, B McCormack (0-01), B Glynn; P Cahillane (0-06, 4f), G Dillon, C Rogers (0-02, 1f).
Subs: A Kelly for Nerney (35); E Feane for Boyle (35); M McNulty for Whelan (41); R Maher for Cotter (46); M Rogers for Lillis (Black Card 50); G Brody for Dillon (55).
Referee: Anthony Nolan (Wicklow)
