Hurling giants will meet again

Hurling giants will meet again

23 September 2020

PORTAFERRY and Ballycran will have to do it all over again this Saturday at the same venue after an absorbing Morgan Fuels Down SHC final ended all square in Ballygalet.

The game was hotly contested between the two great rivals and a red hot atmosphere always bubbled under the surface.

Portaferry’s Conor Faye and Ballycran’s Scott Nicholson exchanged the opening two scores before Padraig Doran fired Portaferry into the lead.

Colum McManus levelled up before Doran once more split the posts to put Portaferry ahead 0-3 to 0-2. Daithi Sands and Conor Mageean shot over in the 12th and 13th minutes to give the Ports a two-point cushion at the water break.

Padraig Doran scored before Colum McManus floated over an effort. On 25 minutes Ballycran found the back of the net. A huge ball was floated into the danger zone, and there was Conor Woods on hand to knock to the net and put Ballycran ahead 1-4 to 0-6.

Scott Nicholson and Chris Egan capitalised on this Cran purple patch to point efforts over. Egan again and then Phelim Savage also split the posts as Ballycran eased six points clear.

Padraig Doran scored the closing point of the first half as Ballycran led 1-9 to 1-7 at the interval. 

Daithi Sands scored the opening point of the second half to decrease the gap to one. Conor Foye then took advantage of the Ports bright opening to the half when he levelled things up seven minutes after the restart at 1-9 each.

Padraig Doran won a couple of converted frees to edge Portaferry ahead once more, with Liam Savage cutting the gap. Doran floated over another score to put Portaferry 1-12 to 1-9 ahead.

Chris Egan’s point 17 minutes into the second period cut the gap to 1-12 to 1-11 in Portaferry’s favour. Ballycran’s Phelim Savage pointed from range to put Ballycran 1-13 to 1-12 ahead. 

Padraig Doran’s  free edged Portaferry ahead in the dying stages of normal time. Phelim Savage landed a last-gasp effort to level up for Ballycran at 1-14 apiece and force extra-time.

Liam Savage and Barry Trainor traded the opening two minor scores of the first extra time period as the teams remained level pegging.

Chris Egan and Scott Nicholson scored a minor each as Ballycran opened up a two-point lead in what was turning into a titanic battle. Stuart Martin of ‘Cran then made it a three-point game. 

Padraig Doran’s free gave the Ports hope. And he repeated the trick moments later, another free this time leaving it a one-point contest by the water break.

Niall Fitzsimmons pointed after a fumble by the Ballycran goalkeeper.  Daithi Sands, however, thought he had done enough in the closing stages when he fired the ball to the net to put Portaferry 2-18 to 1-18 to the good.

As Ballycran knocked in one last hopeful free, their spin of the dice came up when Conor Woods found the back of the net.

The referee blew the final whistle on a breathless decider. Nothing could separate them.

Portaferry: P McNally, D Mallon, C Taggart, T Murray, B Trainor (0-1), C O’Neill, C Smyth, M Conlan (0-2), E Sands, C Faye (0-2), C Mageean (C) (0-1), A O’Prey, P Doran (0-9), D Sands (2-2), C O’Prey.

Subs: P Mason, R Smyth, S Conlan, K McGarry, R Convery, R Blair, N Milligan, C Fitzsimmons, B Coleman, E Savage, N Fitzsimmons (0-1), E Magee, C McNamara.

Ballycran: S Keith, M Hughes, S Ennis (C), G Hughes, B Nicholson, M Ennis, P Hughes, S Nicholson (0-6), P Savage (0-4), L Savage (0-1), C Woods (2-0), N Breen, C Egan (0-4), C McManus (0-2), S Martin (0-1).

Subs: D Ennis, B Arthurs, C Gilmore, D Hughes, T McManus, L Boyd, B Watson, J Coyle, H Flynn, A Dorrian, M Taylor, C Dorrian, C McAllister.

Portaferry 2-18

Ballycran 2-18

MORGAN FUELS DOWN SHC FINAL