Portlaoise 1-12 Graiguecullen 1-6:PORTLAOISE CLAIMED their fifth title in succession with a comprehensive victory over a side hoping to bridge a gap of 46 years.
Graiguecullen played against the breeze in the opening half and retired to the break just a point in arrears after Portlaoise raced into a 0-4 to 0-1 point advantage after 20 minutes. Two late points by Chris Hurley and Ambrose Doran narrowed the gap but that was as good as it got for challengers.
Barry Fitzgerald and Mick Hand traded early points on the resumption but the champions delivered four in a row in the next 10 minutes and when team captain Craig Rogers got inside the defence to score the game’s first goal the margin was eight points.
The result was never in doubt despite Mick Hand’s late goal.
PORTLAOISE: M Nolan; A Kelly, C Healy, B Mulligan; C Boyle, T Fitzgerald, K Fitzpatrick (0-1); H Coghlan, K Lillis; B Glynn (0-1), C Parkinson (0-1), Z Tuohy (0-2); P Cahillane (0-5), B Fitzgerald (0-2), C Rogers (1-0). Subs: M McNulty for T Fitzgerald, E Bland for B Mulligan, S Nerney for A Kelly, I Fitzgerald for C Rogers.
GRAIGUECULLEN: P Scully; T Haughney, M Timmons (0-1), S Aylsbury; C Hurley (0-1), R Alcock, L Murphy; M Hand (1-1), B Maguire; J Bolton, I Fleming (0-1), S O’Neill; B Brennan (0-1), D Hayden, A Doran (0-1). Subs: Kevin Smith for R Alcock, Brian McDermott for C Hurley, Mark Doogue for M Timmons, Colm Doran for D Hayden, Danny Aylsbury for J Bolton.
Referee: Dave Murphy (Portarlington).
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