Dundalk suvive late comeback to win Barton Cup first leg

​Dundalk will carry a slender one point lead into the second leg of the Barton Cup final against Portlarington after winning the home leg  3-2.
They survived a late comeback from the visitors with three of the five matches requiring tie-holes while another was decided on the 18th.
The top match was the only one that was clear-cut as Conor Murphy and Gary Lennon recovered from losing the opening against Iain MacDonald and Aidan Moore. They took control around the turn winning the eight and ninth to go two up and then won the 11th and 12th to extend their lead to four holes before wrapping up a 5&4 victory on the 14th.
Elsewhere things were much tighter although Denis Cunningham and John Paul Casey looked to be coasting to victory over Bernard Scully and Craig Keenan when they won the 14th to go four up with four to play.
But the Portarlington duo suddenly burst into life and won the final four holes to force the match down the 19th.  The Dundalk pairing were rocking at this stage but they dug deep, found the green in regulation, and two-putted for par and the win.
There was never more than one hole between Conall Murdock & Adrian Kenny and Dylan Dunne & Colm Murphy in the second match and the Dundalk pair were never behind until they missed a short par putt on the 17th to go one down with one to play.
However, they got up and down from the edge of the 18th green to win the hole and force the match into sudden death with the Portarlington pairing parring the 20th to take match.
The match between Dundalk’s Tony McGuinness & Conor Murray and  Portarlington’s Jack Cole and Dermot Keenan was also close with never more than a hole between the teams. The home pair needed a win on the 18th to force sudden death but the visitors took the 19th and a valuable point for their side.
With the first four matches decided and the sore at 2-2 all eyes turned to the final match out on the course between Aidan Thornton & John McKeever and Niall Cooke & David Cosgrove. The Dundalk pairing were never behind but kept getting pegged back every time they got their noses in front. However, when they won the 16th hole they went ahead for the third and final time and closed the match out by winning the 18th for a two-hole victory,
 Dundalk now head to Portarlington on Saturday, September 19 for the second leg with a slender lead and will need to dig even deeper if they are to lift the Barton Cup for the fourth time.
 Saturday, September 5 – Barton Cup Final First Leg – Dundalk 3 Portarlington 2 – Conor Murphy & Gary Lennon beat Iain MacDonald & Aidan Moore 5&4; Conall Murdock & Adrian Kenny lost to Dylan Dunne & Colm Murphy 20th hole; Tony McGuinness & Conor Murray lost to Jack Cole & Dermot Keenan 19th hole; Dennis Cunningham & John Paul Casey beat Bernard Scully & Craig  Keenan 19th hole; Aidan Thornton & John McKeever beat Niall Cooke & David Cosgrove 2up.