Down SHC final: Portaferry retain title with late four-point win against Ballycran

Tom Murray was one of four players to score a point in injury-time as Portaferry retained their title

Portaferry retained the Down Senior Hurling Championship with a four-point win over neighbours Ballycran at Pairc Esler on Sunday.

Deadlocked at 0-16 apiece as the clock turned red, Gerard McGrattan's men found an extra gear in the dying minutes to rattle over four unanswered points.

They have now won 22 Down titles.

The regaining champions started on the front foot and raced into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead by the 8th minute.

Ballycran soon found their feet and at the break the St Joseph's held a slender one-point lead, 0-8 to 0-7.

But led by Player of the Match Matthew Conlon, Portaferry regained the initiative to re-establish a three-point lead by the 41st minute.

Ballycran refused to throw in the towel however, and when Stuart Martin pointed on 59 minutes, it set up a grandstand finish, before Portaferry's storming end to the game wrapped up another successful championship campaign.

Portaferry wasted no time in settling into proceedings as points from Matthew Conlon, Tom McGrattan and Daithi Sands helped the holders race into an early 0-3 to 0-1 lead.

While Portaferry were making the most of their opportunities, Ballycran were having an off day at the other end and by 10 minutes, they had already registered four wides.

However, a Paul Sheehan '65' in the 13th minute settled the St Joseph's and by the 16th minute the gap was down to just two-points thanks to a Christoper Eagan effort.

Finn Turpin and McGrattan again helped swing momentum back in Portaferry's favour, but with half-time approaching, it was Ballycran who found an extra gear.

After Ben Arthurs saw his goal bound shot go narrowly wide of Pearce Smyth's goal, Stuart Martin and Phelim Savage equally shared four points as Ballycran led at the break, 0-8 to 0-7.

Stuart Martin and Barry Trainor exchanged points in the opening minutes of the second half, before Portaferry once again took control of the scoreboard.

Paudy Conlon and the Sands brothers, Eoghan and Daithi, helped propel Portaferry into a three-point lead.

It was 0-12 to 0-9 by the 41st minute, and it almost got better for the Ports, but McGrattan could only look on in disappointment as his goal bound shot flashed wide of Stephen Keith's net.

Ballycran weren't going to lie down without a fight, and efforts from Conor Woods and Sheehan cut the gap to the bare minimum with time almost up.

When Martin levelled matters in the 60th minute, all the signs were pointing to a Ballycran victory, but scores from Daithi Sands, McGrattan, Tom Murray and Eoghan Sands claimed a dramatic win for Portaferry in injury-time.

SUNDAY'S CLUB GAA RESULTS

Fermanagh SFC Final

Derrygonnelly 2-8 Erne Gaels 0-9

Monaghan SFC Final

Scotstown 0-17 Inniskeen 0-14

Armagh SFC Final

Crossmaglen 2-16 Clan na Gael 1-7

Down SHC Final

Portaferry 0-20 Ballycran 0-16

Donegal SFC Final

Naomh Conaill 1-16 Gaoth Dobhair 1-8

Cavan SFC Final

Gowna 5-15 Kingscourt 0-13