Morgan Fuels Down Senior Hurling Championship final: St Joseph’s, Ballycran 0-2 John Mitchel’s, Ballygalget 0-6
ANYBODY in the vicinity of St Patrick’s Park, Portaferry on Saturday, or who observed the bedraggled and exhausted players from both these teams at the final whistle, will have a better understanding of the freakishly low-scoring nature of this game.
Unbelievably, Gareth Johnston’s converted 65 in the 34th minute of the opening half would prove to be the final score of the entire game.
But the fact that we saw eight scores at all was a credit to both teams, who played out the contest in a howling gale and driving rain.
Ballygalget went in as underdogs but they were deserving winners as they played with more conviction and won nearly all the individual battles.
Playing with the gale in the first half, Ballygalget slotted over four points in the first four minutes – Declan McManus and Gareth “Magic” Johnston from play and Cormac Coulter with two frees.
But this was never going to be a scorefest and it wasn’t until the 27th minute that the next score came when Scott Nicholson pointed a free for Ballycran.
McManus and Nicholson exchanged points before Johnston had the last word of the half, and the as it turned out, the match.
Morgan Fuels Down SHC Final ends Ballygalget 0.06 Ballycran 0.02 neither team scoring in the second half terrible conditions wind and rain
— Official Down GAA (@OfficialDownGAA) September 24, 2016
Ballycran would have been delighted to turn just four adrift with the advantage of the elements to come, but they just couldn’t get a foothold in the game.
Eoin Clarke was imperious as sweeper in the second half, while his team-mates kept Ballycran penned for the most part in their own half despite the advantage of that strong wind.
When the final whistle blew, ecstatic players and supporters from Ballygalget celebrated on the pitch, but the mood was different in the Ballygalget dug-out.
Their stricken captain Danny Toner, arm in sling, was trying to persuade selector Johnny McGrattan to come across for the trophy presentation.
Johnny said: “I just wanted to sit there and reflect on the last 12 months and what I have been through,’’ he said.
As Johnny went into his house on the evening after the 2015 final he fell and suffered a severe head injury.
He spent many weeks in the Royal Victoria Hospital and then more recuperating in Musgrave Park.
“I am still quite a way from full recovery,’’ he revealed.
‘‘I have no memory of the first two months of the last year and the final whistle brought all sorts of emotion to my mind.
‘‘Danny saw the tears and probably wondered what he was dealing with especially when I asked to be left on my own, but today was so much more important than a match.”
‘‘The club have been wonderful to me and especially Barry Coulter, Martin Coulter and Paddy Monan in the management team who have allowed me to be involved despite my limitations.
‘‘I was also told that while I lay in a coma the players committed to winning this year’s championship for me; that is very humbling
