Ballyboden St.Enda's have only won three Dublin titles and have never won a Leinster Club title decider. Portlaoise, in contrast, have won it seven times and competed in it a further five times.
That lack of history in Leinster mattered little to Ballyboden as they went on to defeat their opponents by one point on a scoreline of 2-9 to 1-11 in a Leinster Final that will go down as one of the more exciting of recent times in O'Connor Park, Tullamore on Sunday afternoon.
Ballyboden were first out of the traps as they went 1-3 to three points ahead thanks to a goal by corner forward Andrew Kerin, which he 'soccered' past Graham Brody in the Portlaoise goal.
Portlaoise pulled themselves back into the game and went ahead with a fisted goal by Paul Cahillane deep into the first half as it began to dawn on spectators that this game would end up going down to the wire.
Goals coming thick and fast in the first half, and neither 'keeper will be happy you'd imagine #TheToughest pic.twitter.com/z1bfRhQkch
— Newstalk Sport (@NewstalkSport) December 6, 2015
The next sequence was indicative of Ballyboden's commitment to the cause as Michael Dara Macauley went up the field and slid the ball under Graham Brody to give his side the lead heading in at half time. Portlaoise may have been the better footballing side on the day but Ballyboden were tackling well, looked organised at the back and were willing to soak up Portlaoise's pressure in order to break fast with an eye for goals. A worrying trend in the first half, and one that would continue into the second half, was how many chances the Dublin side were creating on Portlaoise's goal. The second half was another tight affair as the sides traded scores for much of the thirty minutes. The main turning point came when Donegal man, Paul Durcan, turned a Brian Glynn shot onto the post that would drive Ballyboden on and give them a real chance with minutes to go.
Durcan produces a brilliant save to push the ball onto the post #TheToughest pic.twitter.com/h6runBwbpI
— Newstalk Sport (@NewstalkSport) December 6, 2015
Aran Waters would prove to be the match winner when he got on the end of a slick move by Ballyboden and pointed with his left foot to give his side the lead with time running out.
Portlaoise did have the chance to level matters but Paul Cahillane, who is generally on the money from placed balls, missed the free to draw things level. At that point, with seconds remaining, Portlaoise knew it would be another year without getting their hands on provincial silverware.
Ballyboden enter the last four of the competition and will play the winners of Clonmel Commercials (Tipperary) v Tir Chonaill Gaels in February of the new year.
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