Moorefield (Kildare) 1-9

Portlaoise (Laois) 0-11

A late Niall Hurley-Lynch point gave Moorefield a dramatic victory over Portlaoise in an exhilarating Leinster club SFC quarter-final at O'Moore Park.

In a game that was level seven times, the Newbridge men came from three points down with eight minutes remaining to snatch victory and set up a semi-final against Rathnew, surprise winners over St. Vincent's. Portlaoise were to left to ponder what might have been after substitute Craig Rogers was sent off on a second yellow card in the 53rd minute, while Paul Cahillane was inches wide from a difficult last-gasp free.

It was nip-and-tuck in a brilliant first half before late points from Brian Mulligan, Scott Lawless and goalkeeper Graham Brody - his second from a '45 - gave Malachy McNulty's charges a 0-9 to 0-7 interval lead.

Scores weren't as plentiful in the second half, but it looked like Portlaoise would prevail when Lawless put them three points up. However, a superb 55th minute goal from Éanna O'Connor, son of former Kerry manager Jack, restored parity for the Kildare champions before Hurley-Lynch won it for them at the death. 

Moorefield - T Kinsella; L Callaghan, L Healy, M Dempsey; K Murnaghan, J Murray, S Healy; R Sweeney, A Masterson (0-1); C O'Connor (0-1), E Heavey (0-1), A Tyrrell; S Dempsey, E O'Connor (1-5, 0-2f), N Hurley-Lynch (0-1). Subs: I Meehan for S Dempsey, A Mullins for A Tyrrell, M Murray for R Sweeney, M McDermott for E Heavey.

Portlaoise - G Brody (0-2'45); D Hyland (0-1), F Flanagan, D Seale; B Mulligan (0-1), K Lillis, C Finn; C Boyle (0-1), C McEvoy; G Dillon, B Carroll, B Smyth; P Cahillane (0-2), B McCormack (0-1), S Lawless (0-3, 1f). Subs: C Rogers for B Smyth, P Downey for B Mulligan.

Referee - D Coldrick.

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