Morgan Fuels Down SHC: Ballycran 3-13 Portaferry 1-16
IT was all smiles and car horn honks as the last remaining stragglers took their leave of McKenna Park on Sunday evening.
Around the sides of the field a healthy crowd hung over the fences, most taking up the same station as always, temperatures never threatening to soar even as the lead shifted back and forth between these most familiar foes.
Amid the sound of studs clattering on concrete outside the changing room, Ballycran boss Michael Ennis chatted freely with Portaferry rival Marty Mallon and wife Mary Jo as the dust settled on a game that, while a fair few levels above shadow boxing status, always carried the feel of an hors d’oeuvre as opposed to a main course.
The last time Ballycran and Portaferry met in the championship was last year’s final – it is widely anticipated their next meeting will come in the 2023 decider, having faced off in the last four.
These two aren’t in the business or getting too high or too low about the outcome of a round-robin encounter in August.
Yet, after leaving Pairc Esler empty-handed on that sodden Sunday last October, it will have done Ballycran no harm at all to get across the line, with goals from Chris Egan, Conor Woods from a penalty and Paul Sheehan ultimately proving the difference.
Indeed, their margin of victory could have been more convincing had it not been for Portaferry goalkeeper Pearce Smyth, who made four superb saves to stop the reigning county kingpins falling further behind.
The Ports were missing the drive and doggedness of defensive stalwart Caolan Taggart, who got married on Friday, while only Tom McGrattan really threatened to cut loose as a dangerous forward line was well shackled.
Indeed it was McGrattan – whose father Gerard is part of a new-look management team including Marty Mallon, Andy Savage and Paul Braniff - who rattled Stephen Keith’s net after 14 minutes to consolidate Portaferry’s early ascendancy, despite playing into a decent wind.
But Ballycran gradually began to turn the tide, thanks largely to a powerhouse performance from Liam Savage as he plucked balls from the sky all day, as well as finishing up with three from play.
“Liam’s one of the best hurlers in Ulster at the minute,” said former captain Ennis, whose last act for Ballycran was to lift the Down crown after the 2021 final.
“He’s fit and strong this year, he’s hurling well for us at the minute so I’m delighted to see him putting in big performances on big occasions like this.”
Continuing his heroics, Smyth denied James Coyle before Conor O’Neill bravely blocked a goalbound Conor Woods free on the line as Ballycran went for the jugular, Savage eventually narrowing the gap to 0-5 to 1-3 with the score of the day – claiming the puck-out and swapping passes with Sean Ennis before spitting the posts.
Their first goal arrived right on time too, three minutes into added time in fact, to send Ennis’s men in a point to the good at the break, Egan finishing well following good work from Stuart Martin.
Marty Mallon was prowling the sidelines from the start of the second half, urging the Portaferry half-back line to “hammer into the high ball”, but it was Ballycran who landed another body blow when Woods’s penalty threatened to rip the net after O’Neill dragged back sub Niall Breen as he beat a path into the square.
The occasional moment of McGrattan magic aside, the Ballycran defence held out well in the face of Finn Turpin’s physicality and the electric pace of Daithi Sands, and a super Breen score made it 2-13 to 1-14 with five left to play.
Down ace Paul Sheehan - still adjusting to life in black and amber after his transfer from Newry Shamrocks - put the seal on victory when he slotted into an empty net after Smyth had pulled off another superb stop, this time to deny Stuart Martin.
Portaferry’s search for the elusive goal that might breathe new life into their fading challenge remained elusive, Ballycran’s supporters heading home the happier as they built on last weekend’s win over Ballygalget.
Next time, with a greater prize expected to be at stake, it may not all be just so civil.
Ballycran: S Keith; M Hughes, C McAlister (0-1), G Hughes; R Brown, P Savage, J Clarke; S Ennis, L Savage (0-3); B Arthurs, S Martin (0-1), C Woods (1-2, 1-0 penalty, 0-1 free); P Sheehan (1-5, 0-5 frees), J Coyle, C Egan (1-1). Sub: N Breen (0-1) for Coyle (HT)
Yellow card: S Ennis (30+2)
Portaferry: P Smyth; D Mallon, T Murray, R Smyth; B Trainor, C O’Neill, C Savage; M Conlan (0-1), S Conlan (0-2); C Fay, E Sands (0-2), N Milligan; T McGrattan (1-7, 0-5 frees), F Turpin (0-2), D Sands (0-2). Subs: E O’Neill for R Smyth (50), C O’Prey for Milligan (50), A O’Prey for Fay (60)
Yellow card: C O’Neill (32)
Ref: P Owens (Liatroim)
