Down SHC Final: Favourites Portaferry prevail

Down SHC Final

Portaferry 2-28 Ballgalget 2-17

By Elaine Inghram at Páirc Esler

Portaferry were hot favourites heading into the Morgan Fuels Down Senior Hurling Championship Final on Sunday afternoon in Páirc Esler and they showed why with an 11-point victory over Ballygalget.

It was the fifth Jeremiah McVeagh Cup in a row for the kingpins of hurling in Down, while for the past three years Ballygalget were second best in the county.

Ballygalget certainly put it up to their opponents, however, and led by a point at the break 2-11 to 1-13. But Portaferry showed why they are champions in the second half when they notched up a second maximum after Ballygalget had a man sent off and it was plain sailing from then on.

Ciaran Mulligan netted for the Ports with just two minutes on the clock but it remained close with the scoreline reading 0-5 to 1-3 in the fifth minute.

Ballygalget were looking for a goal of their own and they came close with a clever practised move that saw Eoin Pucci play free in front of goal short to Shea Pucci but the latter slipped as he went for goal and the chance was lost.

Two minutes later the same player did find a maximum however, with a nice team move between Tim Prenter, Cathal Coulter and Pucci, who fired home. That put Ballygalget into a 1-5 to 1-4 lead but the sides were level seconds later when Daithi Sands pointed and so it continued with the match square again 1-10 each with 22 minutes played.

Portaferry pulled away again with the next two points, but Cathal Coulter raised a second green flag for Ballygalget and there was only a point between the teams at the break 2-11 to 1-13.

Eoin Pucci opened the scoring for Ballygalget after the restart but a brace from Daithi Sands either side of a McGrattan free preceded Jordan Doran dealt a red card leaving Ballygalget down to 14 men.

Portaferry stretched their lead when Eoghan Sands stuck the ball in the net. That gave Portaferry a 2-16 to 2-12 lead and with that they continued to pull away.

Scorers for Portaferry: T McGrattan 0-13 (9fs, 1'65), C Milligan 1-1, E Sands 1-2, F Turpin 0-4 D Sands 0-4, N Fitsimmons 0-2, C Coleman 0-1, R Blair 0-1

Scorers for Ballygalget: Cathal Coulter 1-6 (4f), E Pucci 0-5 (4f), T Prenter 0-3, S Pucci 1-0, Owen McDermott 0-1, Matt Fisher 0-1 (1f), M Og Dorrian 0-1.

Portaferry: P Smyth; D Mallon, B Trainor, C Taggart; C Smyth, M Conlon, D Mallon; T Murray, C Milligan; F Turpin, E Sands, T McGrattan; C Coleman, N Milligan, D Sands.

Subs:R Smyth for Mallon (27), S Conlon for Smyth (HT), N Fitzsimmons for Milligan (40), R Blair for E Sands (46), N Rogers for Coleman (60).

Ballygalget: E Clarke; M Toner, B Teggart,C Watson; M Fisher, J McManus, Caolan Coulter; T Prenter, J Doran; Cathal Coulter, M Og Dorrian, Cormac Coulter; E Pucci, S Pucci, O McDermott.

Subs: O Coulter for Cormac Coulter (HT), D Pucci for E Pucci 40.

Referee: C Masterson.