Late goals from Walsh and Mullins do the trick for driven Gort

Gort  2-13

Portumna 1-10

TWO late goals from Wayne Walsh and Albert Mullins had the people of Gort ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ as the club secured their seventh county senior hurling title with victory over reigning champions Portumna in a festive season cracker at Kenny Park, Athenry on Sunday.

In one of the most explosive finishes to a county senior final in many a year, three goals were netted in the final two minutes of normal time with, decisively, Gerry Spelman’s charges registering two of those through substitute Walsh and former Galway minor Mullins.

In truth, it was no more than Gort deserved given Portumna, aside from taken the lead for the one and only time through a Joe Canning free in the third minute, never had their noses in front again for the remainder of the 60 plus minutesof action.

Indeed, even when the All-Ireland club holders rallied in the second half – Kevin Hayes pouncing for a 58th minute goal that would have broken a lesser team – Gort responded within 30 seconds through 48th minute substitute Walsh in a goalmouth scramble that knocked the earth off its axis.

For in hurling terms, that’s what it felt like. This was seismic. Portumna – arguably the ‘invincibles’ of Galway GAA – were rattled to their very core . . . so much so, that just over a minute later, they conceded a second in a passage of play that summed up what Gort brought to this contest.

That was intensity, hunger and desire. This time, Mullins exemplified all those attributes, working hard to get a hook in on Portumna full-back Conor O’Hare whose spoiled clearance was picked up by Gerry Quinn. He ran with the moment and offloaded to Mullins who rounded the ‘keeper to seal the win and secure a second county senior title for the club in four years.

There was barely time to draw a breath. Canning did have a close range free late on in injury-time. He blazed his effort wide although in his frustration he disputed this with the umpire, earning him a booking for his troubles. Soon after referee Christy Browne blew the final whistle.

The championship may have been one of the most drawn out in history but its whirlwind conclusion certainly put the definitive full-stop to it. Okay, the hurling wasn’t always of the highest quality – the heavy underfoot conditions sucked a great deal of the pace out of it – but there was huge commitment from both sides and the closing minutes alone were worth the admission fee.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.