There was a huge shock in the Leinster club championship as Wicklow champions Tinahely defeated Portarlington in the first round.
Tinahely ended a 40 year famine in Wicklow just last weekend and they kept up that winning momentum, defeating the depleted Laois champions by 2-5 to 0-10
Without Robbie Pigott, Eoin McCann, Paddy O'Sullivan and Colm Murphy, Portarlington were unrecognisable from the team that defeated Portlaoise in the Laois final and Tinahely capitalised.
Two brilliant early goals from Matthew Ging and Eoin Darcy sent them on their way to a shock victory. Man-of-the-match last weekend, Matthew Ging hit 1-3 and his late point proved to be the winner for the 5/1 outsiders.
Portarlington had the chance to level it up with a late free but Ronan Coffey went for a one-two with Rioghan Murphy, and was ultimately blocked down.
Mathew Ging BLASTS it into the back of the net😮💨
Weaving his way in and out of the defense, Ging makes no mistake🔥
Tune in NOW to the @gaaleinster Senior Football Championship on Clubber TV📺https://t.co/QU7uPhpieW🔗 pic.twitter.com/GAmXNJ9dlL
— Clubber (@clubber) November 3, 2024
O'Connor inspires St Martin's to fifth title
An inspired display from Rory O'Connor took St Martin's to their first Wexford senior hurling championship since 2019, and their fifth in total.
O'Connor missed the 2019 final through injury but he was the key man five years on scoring 0-11 (0-8f) as they got the consigned St Anne's to a fourth final defeat since 2014.
St Martin's led by four points at the break but the efforts of Liam Óg McGovern helped to drag St Anne's back into the game, leaving just two between them with a quarter of an hour to go.
O'Connor then created the crucial goal, dispossessing the St Anne's goalkeeper for his cousin Barry to pull on the ball into the net.
St Anne's rallied but St Martin's closed out the victory from there.
"We had to fight so hard for every score in the second half. Credit to the Anne's, they were so tight, we knew they wouldn't give up until the final whistle," Rory O'Connor told TG4 afterwards.
"Every score was hard earned. It was reffed well, let the game flow, we were delighted with that as players.
"It means everything. You start hurling with your club when you were four or five. Father and uncles were on the team in '99, and they were up last night celebrating the jubilee.
"It's all very special, a good few cousins and brothers. We're delighted to get our fifth and hopefully many more to come."
County final results
Sligo SFC: Coolera-Strandhill 0-8 St Molaise Gaels 0-7
Wexford SHC: St Martin's 1-22 St Anne's 0-19
Kildare SHC: Naas 3-20 Maynooth 0-12
Provincial championship results
Leinster SFC: St Loman's 2-17 Dunshaughlin 2-4
Leinster SFC: Ardee St Mary's 3-14 Abbeylara 2-8
Leinster SFC: Portarlington 0-10 Tinahely 2-5
