O'Sullivan to the fore as Crettyard-Spink defeat Portlaoise to be crowned Laois GAA Minor champions

Crettyard-Spink are the 2025 Midlands Park Hotel Minor 'A' champions after they squeezed past Portlaoise in Sunday's decider in Laois Hire O'Moore Park.

Cian O'Sullivan finished the game with an impressive tally of eight points as the amalgamated club climbed up the steps of O'Moore Park to lift the cup.

This game was a slow burner with both sides guilty of missing chances early on. Six minutes went by before the game's first score as Aaron McCormack pointed a free after a foul on Oisin McRedmond, who came into the team in place of the injured Mark O'Connor. Cian Fitzpatrick kicked Portlaoise into a two-point lead, but Crettyard would level the sides with their first score. Cian O'Sullivan split the posts from a placed ball outside the arc.

Portlaoise's goal came with a bit of fortune attached to it as Finn Dawson's effort for a point dropped into short and McRedmond was there to fist the ball past the onrushing Mark Dowling. McCormack added a second point to his name before Dawson got his first of the contest. Crettyard-Spink were creating plenty of scoring opportunities, but couldn't get the ball between as they had seven wides to their name by the 17th minute.

Michael Brennan and Bobby O'Connor traded scores before Crettyard got back within two points of The Town. O'Sullivan tapped over a free from in front of the posts while centre-back Fionnan Brennan scored an outrageous point to raise their second orange flag. McRedmond had a great chance to get a second goal for Portlaoise, but couldn't direct his shot on target. Portlaoise had the advantage from referee Mick Tarpey, which allowed McCormack to point a free for the half's final score. Portlaoise led by that McRedmond goal, 1-6 to 0-6, at the break.

O'Sullivan and McRedmond traded scores to get the second-half underway before Crettyard-Spink levelled the game with a goal from Oisin Dowling. Cian O'Sullivan had a shot for a point drop under the crossbar, and Portlaoise goalkeeper Conor Dunne flapped at it with Dowling catching the ball and firing into the net. Bobby O'Connor and Davy Delaney added points for Portlaoise, but Crettyard-Spink replied through O'Sullivan. Portlaoise's indiscipline started to catch up with them as they went from being a point up to three points down as O'Sullivan pointed four frees in a row.

McCormack got two points back for The Town to leave the game in the melting pot as it approached injury time. Portlaoise had one last chance to take the game to extra-time when David Timmons ran at the Crettyard-Spink goal, but his fisted effort landed in the hands of Mark Dowling. Crettyard-Spink also finished the game with 14 men as O'Sullivan was shown a late black card.

FINAL SCORE

CRETTYARD-SPINK 1-12

PORTLAOISE 1-11

Scorers- Crettyard-Spink: Cian O'Sullivan 0-8 (one two-point free, 0-5 frees), Oisin Dowling 1-0, Fionnan Brennan 0-2 (two-pointer), Michael Brennan 0-1. Portlaoise: Aaron McCormack 0-5 (0-2 frees), Oisin McRedmond 1-1, Bobby O'Connor 0-2, Cian Fitzpatrick, Davy Delaney and Finn Dawson 0-1 each.

PORTLAOISE: Conor Dunne; Oran Masterson, Tiernan Lawless, Ryan Haslam; Davy Delaney, Seán Powders, Bobby O’Connor; Finn Dawson, Shaun Priede; Rhys Lawless, Ross Dunne, David Timmons; Oisin McRedmond, Aaron McCormack, Cian Fitzpatrick. Subs: David Valainis for Lawless (43 mins), Shane Carroll for Fitzpatrick (51 mins), Jack O'Connor for Priede (55 mins)

CRETTYARD-SPINK: Mark Dowling; Cormac Brennan, Dale Heffernan, James McGrath; Rian Dwyer, Fionnan Brennan, Eoin Lynam; Darragh Brennan, Jack Doyle; Mikey Regan, Tiernan Patterson, Conor McDonagh; Oisin Dowling, Cian O’Sullivan, Michael Brennan.

Referee: Mick Tarpey (Kilcavan)