'It's not easy win a Minor'- Portlaoise manager Brian Dunne as The Town ends 12-year wait for title
Three goals in nine second-half minutes saw Portlaoise past Portarlington
Portlaoise Minor manager Brian Dunne reflected on the club's 12-year wait for a minor title and the unique potential he saw in this year's group of players since their U13 days. Dunne emphasised the club’s commitment to developing young talent for the senior team, highlighting the significance of this win.
“It feels great. Look, we were waiting since 2012 for this, and we've been building for it for the last few years. We knew we had a team there back when they were under 13 that they were going to produce something special, and I think they produced it today on the big stage. Look, it's all about developing young players in Portlaoise, and that was our main aim. So win, lose or draw today, we've developed a few lads to move on to our Senior team, and that's where we want to go,” Dunne said.
The Portlaoise Minor team delivered a remarkable performance for the sizeable crowd in Laois Hire O’Moore Park on Sunday afternoon. Dunne acknowledged the challenges of winning at Minor level, particularly under the pressure of a large audience.
“It's a testament to them. It's not easy win a Minor. You don't know how lads are going to perform on the big day anyway. This is a cauldron; this place is full now for Portlaoise and Portarlington in the Senior. So, the pressure was on, and they just needed to perform, and they did that for us today. All we asked for was a performance. If they had lost and they had performed, I wouldn't have minded. But we got the win, and we're delighted,” he added.
Dunne also discussed their rocky start to the championship, where the team suffered two defeats. He noted that several players had just returned from county duties, making it challenging for the team to gel, but their hard work and determination ultimately paid off.
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“I suppose we were only after finishing up with the county. We had a good few boys who went to county that were only after finishing up. So, we hadn't got them long, there was a lot of work to do, but we built and built and built for this day. We're here now with the cup, and that's the main thing,” he commented.
The first half of the game was tightly contested, with Portlaoise leading by just one point at the break. Dunne believed that a couple of goals would decisively swing the match, and his team managed to score three in just nine minutes. He praised the class of his players, especially the goal scorers.
“Portarlington are a serious team. Going in a point up at half-time, it was tit for tat in the first half. We knew that if we could get in and get a few goals, we'd kill the game, and we got in for a few there. Darren showed his class there twice. I think Finn got in for one as well. When you've got class on the field and you can get them on the ball and they can get the scores, that kills everything. We're just delighted with that,” Dunne concluded.