Portumna turn the screw in second half to fend off Ardrahan

Portumna 2-23

Ardrahan 0-17

A lively opening half gave way to pretty pedestrian fare in the second 30 minutes as Portumna cemented their place at the top of Group B of this year’s senior hurling championship.

Only two points separated the sides at the break, Colin Burke’s goal giving Portumna the edge, but Ardrahan had no response to the six-time champions in the second half with seven unanswered points midway through the half sewing up the result.

Portumna finished the group unbeaten and are now directly through the the quarter final stage of this year’s championship while Ardrahan, having taken just a single win from the group, now must face-off against Turloughmore in the first round of the relegation play-off.

Ardrahan were still in with a shout of progressing from the group when the game began, depending on other results, and they held up their end of the bargain, taking the lead in the third minute through Cian Walsh. Points from Joe Canning and Oisin Royston had Portumna ahead briefly before Ardrahan came close to grabbing a goal.

Cormac Diviney set-up Cian Walsh but his shot was well blocked by the covering Leo Smyth. Gerry Hennelly pointed the resulting ‘65 and though Joe Canning brought the sides level again, 0-3 apiece after six minutes, it was Ardrahan who were making more headway. Gerard Forde and Iarla Tannian both raised white flags before two more Hennelly frees had Ardrahan four points in front towards the end of the first quarter.

Portumna responded positively to going behind, however, and a burst of 1-4 between the 14th and 17th minute, with an Iarla Tannian point the sole response from Ardahan, left the scores at 1-7 to 0-7. Joe Canning began the scoring with two points, the second coming after good work by Andy Smith, before Colin Burke raised the green flag.

A long ball forward broke off Sean Heagney with Damien Hayes picking up possession on the right-hand touchline 21m out. He picked out Burke with a pass across goal and the wing-forward slotted the ball home. Though Tannian pointed for Ardrahan soon after, further scores from Andy Smith and Damien Hayes left Portumna three to the good.

The sides were evenly matched for the final ten minutes of the half as Portumna added to their score thanks to points from Ronan O’Meara (2) and Kevin Hayes while Ardahan went in just two points behind at the break, 1-10 to 0-11, thanks to four frees from Gerry Hennelly.

Ronan O’Meara bagged his third point of the evening just after the restart, converting a free from the left-wing, before Ardrahan got back within a single point thanks to efforts from Cian Walsh and Gerry Hennelly. Unfortunately for them, it would be as close as they got as Portumna took control of the contest.

Full coverage in this week’s Connacht Tribune.