Old Leighlin 0-06 Portarlington 1-12
It's a decade since a Laois club contested an AIB Leinster club SFC final but perhaps Portarlington will amend that stat after their provincial campaign started with a dominant win over Carlow hosts Old Leighlin.
Pat Roe's side didn't produce a whole pile of scores for the highlights reel but did offer a powerful collective display that eased them through to a quarter-final with Louth champions Naomh Máirtín.
Colm Murphy's four-point haul, and 1-02 from Rioghan Murphy, was enough to propel the back-to-back Laois champions through to a November 16 clash with the Wee County representatives.
Just like this encounter, that will be a testing away trip for a club desperate to go one better than their provincial semi-final appearances of 2021 and 2022.
Port' were beaten by Kilmacud Crokes in both of those games and suffered a surprise Round 1 loss to Wicklow's Tinahely in 2024.
But they led this encounter virtually from pillar to post and were deserved winners, even if Rioghan Murphy's 64th minute goal glossed the scoreline somewhat.
No Carlow club has made it beyond the quarter-final stage of this competition since 2019 finalists Éire Óg so Old Leighlin were always up against it.
Paddy O'Sullivan with a fine effort for Portarlington and Old Leighlin really need something special to get back into this Leinster clash.
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) November 1, 2025
📺 RTÉ2
🖥️ https://t.co/hzPmwWbTTe pic.twitter.com/lKPYFl7Zgz
They had some inside information of sorts as boss Brian Lonergan previously managed Portarlington.
But after an evenly contested first quarter - the sides were locked on 0-02 apiece after 17 minutes - Port' then pulled away.
It wasn't classic stuff from the 17-times Laois champions but they picked off a series of scores to hit the interval with a commanding 0-09 to 0-03 lead.
Old Leighlin scored just a point from play in the first half, from county man Mikey Bambrick in the 26th minute.
Their other two scores were both pointed frees from Seamus Kinsella, one of which Bambrick won.
Bambrick also had a terrific chance for a goal in the 19th minute when, after good work by captain Aaron Amond and Tadhg O'Neill, he got free for an opportunity that he dragged just wide.
That was a turning point because Portarlington won the resulting kick-out and worked a move that ended with Jordan Fitzpatrick pointing for a 0-04 to 0-02 lead.
Colm Murphy, player of the match in the county final replay win over Courtwood, was tracked by corner-back Jordan Kelly.
It was an entertaining duel and while Murphy was held scoreless from play, he did win a free off Kelly that he knocked over just before the interval.
Murphy had a half chance for a goal in the 25th minute too but his lobbed effort, after the 'keeper had come off his line, was deflected out.
Port' went short, and backwards, with the 45 and cleverly played in captain Ronan Coffey for another score.
Even without Sean Byrne and Jake Foster - they reportedly returned to Australia after the county win - the favourites were sitting pretty at the turnaround.
Colm Murphy increased his team's lead with another point from a free after the restart, 0-10 to 0-03.
Two passages of play in the third quarter summed up the ferocity of Portarlington's defending. Firstly, Darragh Slevin raced back into his own half to strip an Old Leighlin player of possession before launching a counter-attack that ended with a free in for Port'.
Leinster club FT: Old Leighlin (Carlow) 0-06 Portarlington (Laois) 1-12
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) November 1, 2025
A goal at the death from Rioghan Murphy puts the seal on Portarlington's win and they can now look forward to a quarter-final clash with Louth champions Naomh Máirtín. pic.twitter.com/McDqRnFPsf
Soon after, Old Leighlin forward James Dowling won possession in an advanced position before suddenly being surrounded by four players and spilling the ball.
It wasn't always easy on the eye but on the first evening of winter, in cool and heavy conditions, it was mightily effective from Portarlington.
Old Leighlin had the numbers advantage for most of the last quarter when Portarlington skipper Coffey was black carded for hauling back Kinsella.
In the period when Coffey was off the pitch, Old Leighlin pressed up hard on Port' and outscored them 0-03 to 0-00.
But the goal they needed never arrived and it was Portarlington that raised the only green flag of the evening in the last play of the game, Rioghan Murphy netting after his initial attempt was blocked by the goalkeeper.
Old Leighlin: Steven Scallan; Jordan Kelly, Sean Bambrick, Tadhg O'Neill; Tadhg Roche, Niall Roche, Jamie Doyle; Ian Atkinson, David Bambrick; James Dowling, Aaron Amond (0-01), Mikey Bambrick (0-02); Cathal Coughlan, Seamus Kinsella (0-02, 0-02fs), Darragh Fitzgerald.
Subs: Sean Taylor (0-01) for David Bambrick (42), Mark Brennan for Coughlan (59).
Portarlington: Luke O'Reilly; Alex Mohan, Robbie Pigott, Curtis Lyons; Mikey Bennett, Jason Moore, Patrick O'Sullivan (0-02); Keith Bracken, Eoin McCann; Rioghan Murphy (1-02, 0-01f), Ronan Coffey (0-01), Darragh Slevin; Jordan Fitzpatrick (0-02), Darragh Galvin, Colm Murphy (0-04, 0-04fs).
Subs: Tom Corcoran for Galvin (49), Sean Michael Corcoran (0-01) for Fitzpatrick (58).
Referee: Ian Howley (Dublin).
