Portaferry gold

Portaferry gold

29 October 2014

PORTAFERRY hurlers go for Ulster glory when they take on a fancied Cushendall side in the Ulster Club Championship final in Owenbeg, Derry, on Sunday at 2.30pm.

The Ports came through their semi-final against Lisbellaw from Fermanagh with relative ease.

Star player Paul Braniff top scored with 0-6 in the 2-17 to 1-11 victory. Braniff will be looked to again to lead his team’s charge with Karol Keating in goal, Conor O’Neill and captain John Convery in defence, Conor Mageean in midfield and Eoghan Sands in the attack the other mainstays.

Cushendall needed a replay to see off Derry champions Slaughtneil in their last four clash.

Eventually, Terence ‘Sambo’ McNaughton’s outfit outdid the Derry champs 2-10 to 0-10.

Captain and current Antrim star Neil McManus is a huge player for Cushendall and along with Shane McNaughton and Karl McKeegan will be a force to be reckoned with.

Cushendall are favourites and it would take something really special from Portaferry if they were to cause an upset.

Meanwhile, Drumaness, Down junior football champions, make another foray into the Ulster Club series and they will be hoping for a better showing than last time out in 2010.

Their opposition is St. Malachy’s from Antrim. The Belfast side draw their players from the Markets area of the Lower Ormeau and they have a big Down connection.

The Saints won the Saffron County title after defeating St. Comgall’s in the decider by 3-2 to 0-8.

Down and Antrim sides have a very poor record at this grade in Ulster. However, this game marks a huge opportunity for Drumaness.

They are currently on a crest of a wave and they should have too much quality for a St. Malachy’s team who may struggle to keep tabs on a fast moving Drumaness attack.

Drumaness have quality players all over the place, but in Ryan Walsh, Gary Murdock, Conor Murdock, Brian McIlmurray, Philip Rogan, Donal Kennedy, Neil Stranney and Paul Gilchrist they have players of undoubted quality and too much know how for St. Malachy’s.

Warrenpoint’s Ulster IFC crusade kick-starts with a very difficult assignment against Tyrone’s Dungannon.

The Red Hand county’s representatives caused a major shock in their own county by defeating a heavily fancied Trillick side in their final.

The Clarkes only recently moved back up into the intermediate ranks and their progress has been astonishing.

Warrenpoint sailed through their campaign and then secured the WJ Farrell Cup with a rousing performance against Ballymartin.

This will be their toughest test to date and they will need to keep close tabs on the powerful Padraig McAnulty and score getter Kiefer Morgan.

The Point have big designs on going the whole way to the All-Ireland title and in Ross McGarry they have a potential match winner.

The games aren’t getting any easier, but a semi-final berth is on the cards.