Remember the Game: Late Cuddy points gives Shamrocks the right to fight another day against Portlaoise in the 2009 JFC ‘C’ Final

Portlaoise 0-10 Shamrocks 1-7
2009 Laois JFC ‘C’ Final

Junior ‘C’ football might be the lowest grade of championship football in Laois, but for anyone that has ever been so blessed to give it a go, they will know just how tough and exciting it can be.

The 2009 final between Portlaoise and Shamrocks, the old Castletown-Slieve Bloom is a testament to the cracking nature of what the Junior ‘C’ grade has to offer.

It came down to a last gasp point from the substitute Ger Cuddy for the Shamrocks to secure a draw, forcing another instalment to decide who could be crowned champions.

The game was played out on a wet and windy day in Mountrath, which can be reflected on the scoreline, but nonetheless the game produced a fine spectacle, with physicality becoming a good feature of the game.

Portlaoise had the better of the exchanges in the first half but a goal near the half time whistle from Enda Conroy set the sides level and that’s how they went it at the break.

The Shamrocks continued their momentum and Portlaoise found themselves trailing by two halfway through the second half, but they then managed to reverse the two point margin in their favour with four good points.

But that didn’t stop a brave Shamrocks comeback, with the super sub Ger Cuddy taking centre stage. He kicked a vital free to narrow the gap to one, before winning the ball and producing one of the scores of the game to force a replay.

In the replay, it would be Portlaoise that came through by four points but that scoreline wasn’t a reflection on yet another tough battle.

Alf Harvey was there on the first day and he captured some of the action below.

SCORERS – Portlaoise: Dan O’Neill 0-3, Martin Staunton 0-3, David O’Mahoney 0-2, Paul Sutton 0-1, Jo Jo Salmon 0-1. Shamrocks: Kieran Dunne, 0-3, Ger Cuddy 0-3, Enda Conroy 1-0, John Gaughan 0-1.

PORTLAOISE: John Hanniffy; Eoin Rochford, Paul Scanlon, Eamon O’Callaghan; David Seale, Gary McCormack, Jo Jo Salmon, Stuart Nerney, Paul Sutton; Martin Staunton, David Glynn, David O’Mahoney; Scott Lawless, Daniel O’Neill, Andrew Dowling. Subs: David Graham, Dara Cushen.

SHAMROCKS: James Moore; James Dooley, David Cuddy, Fran Delaney; Robert Delaney, Brian Ferns, Tom Delaney; Paul Cuddy, Mark Delaney; Paul Harding, Cyril Cuddy, John Gaughan; Enda Conroy, Darren Ferns, Kieran Dunne. Subs: Ger Cuddy, Michael Butler, John Lowry.

SEE ALSO – Any hurls? Any helmets? It’s Junior ‘C’ hurling championship day