Canning bails Portumna out of trouble

Portumna 1-19

Killimordaly 2-14

TITLE favourites Portumna took control of Group C with this two-point victory over a plucky Killimordaly at Ballinasloe on Saturday evening.

Unbeaten now in their first two games, Portumna were pushed all the way by a defiant Killimordaly, who probably deserved more. A draw possibly would have been a fair result, and would have better reflected the balance of play. But stalemate would have been cruel on Joe Canning, who was outstanding.

It’s almost getting boring now, writing about another ‘Joe Show’, but that’s what we were treated to at Duggan Park as Canning scored 15 points, including six from play, as well as a few assists, and he dragged Portumna over the line.

Whereas Killimordaly had gutsy displays all over the field, Portumna relied too heavily on Canning, particularly in the second-half, when the pressure was on.

Make no mistake – the border men would not have won it without him. Canning’s massive haul of scores is obvious but remember in the second half, too, as Portumna clung to a one-point lead heading into injury time he was required to defend.

Killimordaly’s Keith Kennedy from way back in his own half launched a huge effort into the danger area and it was Joe Canning who plucked it from the sky, cleared it right down the other end of the field to Damien Hayes, who was fouled for a free that Canning converted. It was classic Canning.

Killimordaly complained of Canning’s ‘theatrics’ early-on but in fairness on the two occasions he was down injured it was because he had suffered two late chop-downs on his knuckles after clearing the ball, firstly from defender Declan Connolly, who had an excellent game, and then from Iomar Creaven. There was no simulation – and they were without a doubt frees.

Conceding cheap frees certainly was an issue for Killimordaly and on a couple of occasions ‘back-chat’ meant that the free was brought in further to a more scoreable position.

Killimordaly had a better spread of scorers and they’d a more balanced look about them. Perhaps if they had more belief in the beginning and had they made better use of possession, including converting some of their nine wides – one or two were just unforgiveable – then we’d be talking about the upset of the year.

Full match report in this week’s Connacht Tribune.