**Portarlington U16 v Clondalkin**
Port travelled to Clondalkin on Friday evening to meet the home side in their first Cup Game of the season. It proved to be an intense encounter against strong opposition, and Port suffered significant injuries in the opening 20 minutes. This was only the second outing for this new group, and they competed hard in the scrums and lineouts from the kick off.
Despite some good runs and solid defensive work, Port conceded three tries in the first half. On 27 minutes our powerhouse Tom Coen gave the side a massive lift. After three strong phases of Port attack, Tom picked up and drove hard at the line, carrying defenders with him, and drove over just to the left of the posts to get Port on the board. Converted by Bradley Cooper (VC).The half-time score was 19-7.
The second half saw a far more disciplined Port side, contesting every breakdown and hungry to win ball. Although Clondalkin added two more tries, the effort and work rate from the Port lads never dropped. Their set pieces grew stronger with every phase, and the side kept pushing right to the final whistle. The final score was 33-7.

Captain Darragh Donnelly led from the front all evening, showing great leadership and control and keeping the group focused and organised under real pressure. He was a deserved Man of the Match.
It was a tough night,and there were plenty of positives to build on from a young group that showed real promise. A Speedy recovery to our injured players.

**Team:** Sam Petriw, Seán Fitzpatrick, Jake Fitzpatrick, Niall Malone, Michael Owens, Bradley Cooper (VC), Edward Feehan, Jack McDonald, Ben Kelly Drennan, Devin Flood, Darragh Donnelly (C), Kyle Kelly, Óisín Geoghegan, Luca Hynes, Tom Coen, Ciaráin Moore, Tadgh O'Connor, Kian James, Ruairí Conroy, Pierce Milner.

**Man of the Match:** Darragh Donnelly (C)
**Outstanding Performance:** Niall Malone, Devin Flood, Pierce Milner, Kyle Kelly, Ciaráin Moore
**Exceptional Work Rate:** Tom Coen, Kian James, Bradley Cooper (VC), Sam Petriw, Ruairí Conroy
**Great Support Play:** Jake Fitzpatrick, Michael Owens, Óisín Geoghegan, Luca Hynes, Seán Fitzpatrick. Ben Kelly Drennan, Tadgh O Connor.

Archive Photo