Scotstown and Portaferry retain county titles

Conor McCarthy made an impact off the bench in Scotstown's win

Scotstown make it three Monaghan senior football titles in a row as they powered home in extra-time with a 0-22 to 0-17 win over Inniskeen in Clones.

The teams were locked at 0-15 at the end of 60 minutes, but the defending champions found a way to make it 10 titles in 13 years and 24 overall.

Inniskeen were seeking to end a 77-year wait for the Mick Duffy Cup but it was Scotstown who got off to the better start with a Jack McCarron two-pointer helping them into an early three-point lead.

That remained the gap midway through the opening half and although McCarron pushed the gap to four, two Sean Jones points and another from Shane Hanratty reduced the gap to one.

However, a two-pointer from the impressive Tommy Mallen and another from inside the arc gave Scotstown a 0-10 to 0-6 lead at half-time.

Iniskeen made the better start to the second period as after Jones kicked a free, Conor Jones thumped over a two-pointer.

Rory Beggan responded in kind but this was cancelled out by an Andrew Woods effort from deep to leave one between them heading into the final quarter.

Michael Monahan levelled it as Inniskeen started to believe and although they found themselves two down again, a Conor Jones two-pointer tied it with five to play. Mallen kicked Scotstown back in front late, but a Woods free forced extra time.

There was no stopping Scotstown in the extra period as they rattled off the first three points and although Sean Jones responded with a two-pointer to leave one in it at the change of ends, it was as good as it got for Inniskeen as a Conor McCarthy two-pointer either side of scores from Shane Carey and Jack McCarron sealed another county title for Scotstown.

Portaferry make it four-in-a-row in Down hurling

Portaferry completed four in a row in Down hurling as they produced a strong second half display to deny Ballygalget with a 2-24 to 2-13 win.

The St Patrick's men collected their 25th county title but were asked questions in the opening half from their challengers who made a great start to the final in Newry.

After the teams traded early scores, Ballygalget's Eoin Pucci cracked home an eighth minute goal and after Portaferry hit back with 1-1 including a penalty goal from Cathal Coleman, Pucci immediately hit back with his second goal as his side would keep their noses in front for the rest of the half, leading 2-6 to 1-7 at the break.

The champions upped it a gear in the second half, drawing themselves level before Daithi Sands put them back in front and after Niall Fitzsimmons chipped in with one of his five points, Eoghan Sands cracked home a 43rd-minute goal which gave Portaferry the initiative.

There was no looking back as Coleman brought his tally for the day to 1-8, with Fitzsimmons and Finn Turpin also in a flow as their side ran out 11-point winners to set up an Ulster semi-final against Slaughtneil on the weekend of 15/16 November.