IN BOXING parlance, St Sylvester's victory in this Leinster club semi final at Portlaoise would be put down to a devastating display of counter punching during the closing stages.

The Dublin champions shifted from a position of distinct vulnerability to one of winners by eight points in next to no time.

The legs of the Kilanerin team betrayed them in the final minutes of their fifth championship match in as many weeks. And this proved a major factor during the closing minutes, the excitement of which was out of character with what had earlier seemed destined to be a terminally dim encounter.

For all but those last five minutes, the qualities of resolve displayed by the Wexford team put the fancied Dublin side under great strain.

The Dubliners were denied possession to such an extent that they failed to score from the 43rd to the 56th minutes. The pressure for the over worked St Sylvester's defence showed - and conceding frees was a costly activity with Kilanerin's 17 year old free taker Mattie Forde in such impeccable form.

Forde, not included in the original line up in the match programme, accounted for Kilanerin's complete tally of eight points. His last of seven pointed frees came in the 55th minute and left only two points between the teams.

From this juncture onwards everything went sour for the Wexford side. They had needed a goal alike bone needs marrow. Space became available to the Malahide team to an alarming degree and within a four minute spell the Dubliners had contrived a winning lead with a goal and three points cobbled up out of practically nothing.

St Sylvester's had been the better of two unimpressive sides throughout the first half making better attempts to establish coordination. Meanwhile, Kilanenn were creating problems for themselves through over elaboration.

They often gained only a few yards with a number of hand passes before the move would break down in midfield. Ironically, Nicholas Darcy - who was one of their best forwards - was slow to react to their only goal chance after 25 minutes. Worse still, they lost one of their most effective forwards, Paul Hughes, through injury after only 10 minutes.

Shay Keogh, forever the big influence in the St Sylvester's attack, laid on the scoring pass for Declan. Barnes to hammer home their first goal after 13 minutes and give the Dubliners a 1-3 to 0-1 lead.

St Sylvester's had the wind, in the first hall, but their half time lead of 1-4 to 9-2 looked good enough. But Kilanerin's second half display went so close to discounting that view.

The Wexford midfielders, Jim Darcy and Seamus Hughes, helped to notably curtail the flow to Niall Guiden in the St Sylvester's attack, and the attack leader had to forage back upfield with his colleagues, which damaged the composure of the forward division. Corner forward Dedan Barnes was deep in his own defence when he was booked one of three bookings dished out by Westmeath referee Pat Casserley.

The tide was flowing towards the St Sylvester's posts and the pattern lasted too long for the comfort of Talty and his seconds.

Glenn O'Neill played his part at the heart of a stubborn St Sylvester's defence. Keith Galvin was also impressive, and Brian Barnes adapted well to the fullback berth in place of team captain Brian Silke, who did not play.

Kilanerin lacked the incisiveness necessary to unhinge the St Sylvester's cover. Then there were those tired legs at the finish, punished mercilessly by Colm Earley's goal in injury time.

Gerry Farrell, the Kilanerin team manager, said he was happy with his team's performance. He said he understood the team's failure to the last the distance given their over loaded programme of games recently.

He felt St Sylvester's first goal was a major blow. "They got one first half chance and took it," he said.