Ballygalget claim
Senior Hurling Title: Ballygalget
2-13 Portaferry 0-8
By Patrick Murphy, Down Hurling
PRO
Ballygalget won the
Down Democrat Senior Hurling Championship
with a notable victory over Portaferry.
The match was relatively tight for
the first 10 minutes. Portaferry opened
the scoring with a Paul Branniff point
after 3 minutes but unfortunately
for Portaferry it was the last time
they held the lead in the match.
Ballygalget's opening score 2 minutes
later was a well finished goal which
Martin Coulter created with a quick
burst of pace.
The teams traded
points to leave Ballygalget leading
1-1 to Portaferry's 0-2 after 12 minutes.
Ballygalget's Stephen Clarke knocked
over a superb point to put them 4
points up. At the other end Paul Branniff
was getting strongly marshalled by
the Ballygalget defence. While Aaron
Dynes at full back will take the credit
for keeping him quiet it was largely
down to the hard work and ground hurling
of the Ballygalget half back line.
Portaferry failed to get a good supply
of ball to their forwards. Ballygalget
on the other hand were picking off
points and led at the break 1-6 to
0-4.
Playing with the
wind in the second half Portaferry
were expected to come back in to the
match. However, 2 frees from Martin
Coulter
put Ballygalget further in front.
On 11 minutes veteran Barry
Coulter rounded Portaferry's Barry
Milligan and sprinted up the touchline
for 25 yards to rifle a shot off the
woodwork. The rebound fell kindly
to galget's Shane Bailie who clinically
dispatched the ball to the net past
an unlucky Carl Keating.
Ballygalget led 2-8 to Portaferry's
0-5. Ballygalget brought on 2 subs
who had an immediate impact. Paddy
Coulter's 2 points and Johnny McGrattan's
1 point left Portaferry trailing further.
In what was a hard,
physical and generally fair match
Portaferry will know they could have
done a lot better, but it was Ballygalget
who thoroughly deserved their win
on the day.
