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Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Club Champions outstay experimental Waterford side
BY PHIL FANNING
PORTUMNA 1-19 WATERFORD 1-14
There was a touch of Spring in the air at Carrickbeg on Saturday last as All Ireland Club Champions, Portumna, took the field against a Waterford selection in bright sunshine in a fundraising game for the St. Mollerans juvenile club.
It was a game Portumna took very seriously as part of their preparation for their All Ireland Club semi final with Dunloy on Sunday week and, consequently, the good attendance was treated to an entertaining hour of tough, uncompromising hurling during which little was conceded by either side.
In the final minutes the club side pulled clear for a flattering five point victory thanks mainly to a late goal by Andrew Smith after the Waterford side had failed to convert some very clear scoring chances.
With the Crystal Cup game against Clare the following day the Waterford selectors took the opportunity to play their college players currently ineligible for that competition as well as the newcomers to the training panel who have participated in the pre league games to date.
Only three of the line up played in last year’s championship run, Noel Connors, Aidan Kearney and Gary Hurney were in the starting fifteen that also included a couple of players who have not featured to date. Portumna fielded at full championship strength.
The young Waterford side settled quickly with last year’s minor captain Martin O’Neill fielding a clearance from Michael Doherty near the sideline on the Portumna ‘65’ and sidestepping Ollie Canning to send over a delightful point. Seconds later Eoin Whelan and Chris O’Gorman combined well on the left wing for the Lismore youngster to set up O’Neill for a tap in goal with just ‘keeper Ivan Canning to beat.
We then had an exchange of points from frees between Joe Canning and Martin O’Neill before the Galway side lifted their game with successive points from a Canning free, Damien Hayes and Eoin Lynch.
The home side regained the initiative when Shane Ahearne set up Martin O’Neill for a point and the hardworking Nicky Jacob and O’Neill again, from a free, put Waterford back into a four point lead.
In the opening quarter the Waterford full back line of Michael Doherty, Shane Fives and Noel Connors defended the line splendidly against a much vaunted Portumna front line that included Joe Canning and Damien Hayes to an extent that Canning moved out to the wing forward position where he began to bring his fellow forwards more into the game.
Between the 20th and 30th minutes Portumna took control at half back and midfield to send over an uninterrupted sequence of seven points, three from Canning frees and two each from Hayes and Leo Smith. That scoring sequence was broken by a trademark long range point from a free by Adrian Power in the 30th minute and Waterford finished the half strongly with two Martin O’Neill points from frees in added time to level matters at 1 – 8 to 0 – 11 going in at the break.
It had been a very competitive first half with both teams taking the game very seriously and there was no let up in the pace for the second half as Joe Canning put his side into the lead with a point just seconds after the restart.
It was a short lived lead as Gary Hurney and Shane Ahearne had the home side back in front with a point apiece in the 34th minute.
Joe Canning showed his class with a great point from play to level but Martin O’Neill edged Waterford in front again, from a free, in the 38th minute. It was still end to end stuff but Waterford were squandering some goo scoring chances and, with the temperature rising in the exchanges, particularly in front of the Portumna goal, the club side regained the initiative with four unanswered points between the 40th and 53rd minutes.
With some five minutes remaining Waterford replied with points from Martin O’Neill and Nicky Jacob to cut the deficit to a point but after Joe Canning added a point in the 58th minute Portumna clinched victory with an opportunist goal from Andrew Smith after a defensive error allowed him through on goal. The scoring was completed by a late exchange of points between Martin O’Neill and Smith to bring the curtain down on what was a very entertaining, and at times hotly contested game.
Portumna will have been happy to have been involved in such a tough tie prior to their coming semi final and certainly the Waterford selectors were given much food for thought by the performances of the ‘fringe’ players on show. The home full back line was particularly impressive with Michael Doherty, Shane Fives and Noel Connors all making a case for inclusion in the final panel for the league.
In midfield Eoin Whelan and Bryan Phelan may just about have edged the exchanges while in attack Gary Hurney and Nicky Jacob worked very hard in the central positions while Martin O’Neill had a fine game against the experienced Ollie Canning.
The three players brought into the squad on the day, Chris O’Gorman, Shane Ahearne and Keith Landers all showed promise for the future.
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