Dundalk beaten in barton cup final play-off

Home advantage proved decisive in the second leg of the Barton Cup final as Portarlington won the second leg against Dundalk 3-2 to level the aggregate score at 5-5 and then won the three-hole play-off by two holes to lift the trophy for the first time since 1950.
After a close battle in the first leg where three of the five foursomes matches were decided by play-off and one finished on the 18th it was obvious that there was little between these two teams.
But, by minimising their deficit to one point with the home leg to come, the feeling was that it was now advantage Portarlington and that’s precisely how it turned out but only just, as the Dundalk lads put up a heroic fight against the odds with three of the matches being decided on the final hole.
Nineteen of the 20 players who played in the first leg started the second leg in Portarlington last Saturday with the only change being the introduction of Dundalk’s Emmet McCabe Savage to partner Gary Lennon as Conor Murphy was abroad on holiday.
Manager Derek Murdock and his assistant Mickey Coburn juggled the order of their pairings, as did their Portlaoise counterparts, but there were no rematches from that epic contest two weeks previously.
Conal Murdock and Adrian Keny were given the job of leading Dundalk out in the top match against Bernard Scully and Craig Kennan but after winning the second hole they were unable stretch their lead. They turned all square after nine but then lost the 10th to go one down. They couldn’tto draw level and the Portarlington duo won 15 and 16 to close out a 3&2 win
In the bottom match Tony McGuinness and Conor Murray were all square after eight with Niall Cooke and David Cosgrove but lost nine and 10 to go two down with wins at 13 and 15 allowing the Portarlington pair to record a 4&3 win.
That left Portarlington 4-3 ahead on aggregate but Dundalk rallied and won both the second and third matches on the 18th green to go 5-4 ahead.
Dennis Cunningham and John Paul Casey were two up with four to play against Jack Corr and Dermot Keenan but the home pair won 16 and 17 to leave the match level standing on the 18thtee. The Dundalk duo had been forced into a play-off in the first leg after being four up with four to play but they held their nerve for a second successive time and won the final hole to put Dundalk’s first point on the board.   
Having been two up with seven to play, Aidan Thornton and John McKeever came from one down with two holes left to win one up against Iain MacDonald and Aidan Moore and nudge Dundalk into the overall lead.
That left all eyes on the final match out on the course with Emmet McCabe Savage and Gary Lennon engaged in a tight battle with Dylan Dunne and Colin Murphy.  The match had turned into the back nine all square with Dundalk winning the 10th hole to go one up and a win on 12 put them two up with six holes to go. But the Portlaoise pair rallied impressively winning four of the final five holes to win two up.
That point secured a 3-2 second leg win for Portarlington and left the overall match tied at 5-5. A three-hole play-off saw Dennis Cunningham and John Paul Casey facing Dylan Dunne and Colin Murphy and, after missing a chance to win the first tie hole with a par the Dundalk duo lost the other two as Portarlington ended their 66 year wait to lift the Barton Cup again.  
Saturday, September 19 - Barton Cup Final Second Leg – Portarlington 3 Dundalk 2 (Aggregate 5-5, Portarlington win after play-off) – (Portarlington names first) Bernard Scully & Craig Kennan beat Conal Murdock & Adrian Keny 3&2; Iain MacDonald & Aidan Moore lost to Aidan Thornton & John McKeever 1up; Jack Corr & Dermot Keenan lost to Dennis Cunningham & John Paul Casey 1up;  Dylan Dunne & Colin Murphy beat Emmet McCabe Savage & Gary Lennon 2up; Niall Cooke & David Cosgrove beat Tony McGuinness & Conor Murray 4&3. Play-off: Dylan Dunne & Colin Murphy beat Dennis Cunningham & John Paul Casey 2up.