Gortnahoe continue to impress as they defeat Portroe to make semi finals

FBD Insurance Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship Quarter-Final

Gortnahoe Glengoole 1-22

Portroe 2-16

By Liam Hogan

Marksmanship of the highest order continued to be the trade as Keane Hayes was on form in helping Gortnahoe Glengoole win a place in the last four when they defeated a disappointing Portroe side in a tie played at sunny Borrisoleigh last Saturday afternoon.

Hayes scored 0-17 including four points from play as part of an unerring performance as his side were by far the better side on the day and yet they nearly let it go as Portroe, in typical fashion, came good in the last ten minutes with goals in the closing stages but it was too little too late.

Portroe were first to settle and were leading 0-3 to 0-1 by the seventh minute thanks to two John Sheedy frees plus one from play by A J Willis. But with Keane Hayes, who scored all Gortnahoe’s first half points, pulled Gortnahoe back level by the 13th minute at 0-4 each.

Mark Gennery gave Port the lead but Hayes replied with another free before adding five more frees to see his team take a 0-10 to 0-6 half time lead.

Once the teams returned to action it was Gortnahoe who displayed much more urgency in their play as Darragh Maher became the second Gortnahoe player to register a score twenty second in.

Hayes increased his side’s lead to five with his eleventh score but Port responded with Robert Byrne’s ninety metre free quickly followed by a John Sheedy free to leave the margin at three.

However, Gortnahoe were in form as two quick points by Gearoid Fahey and Keane Hayes had the margin out to five by the 38th minute.

Over the next seven minutes the teams went score for score with Portroe taking the lead through A J Willis, Jack Maloney and a John Sheedy sixty five only for Gortnahoe to regain their five point lead each time through two frees by Keane Hayes either side of a Ronan Teehan score from play.

Everytime Gortnahoe felt threatened they had the ability to loosen the strings and by the 48th minute they had increased their lead to six for the first time with Keane Hayes adding two pointed frees.

There was more rich form from the midside, who went for a goal in the 51st minute but Diarmuid Boyle was equal to Ronan Teehan’s effort with Teehan firing the rebound inches wide.

In response Portroe won a sixty five which John Sheedy converted but wing back Brian Maher was on hand to move Gortnahoe six in front for the second time.

When Colm Gleeson was yellow carded for a second time it seemed that Port’s chances of recovery were impossible. Kevin O’Halloran’s well directed sideline cut gave hope.

Keane Hayes moved his team six in front again before John Moloney and Hayes swapped points giving the mid side a six point advantage for third time and a minute remaining.

But thirty seconds later the game changed direction momentarily when A J Willis took an assist from Kevin O’Halloran before finding the net.

O’Halloran followed up with a second point from a sideline as Port had cut the margin to two. However, Gortnahoe were always that bit in hand and they must have felt the game was there’s once Darragh Maher found the back of the Port net quickly followed by another Hayes free in the first minute of added time.

It was game over but another minute of play was on hand and Port had one more kick in them with AJ Willis finding the net for a second time but by then it was too little too late as Gortnahoe had reached the semi-final.

Gortnahoe Glengoole: Timmy Dunne; Enda McCarthy, Karl Campion, Philly Purcell; Martin Barnaville, Davy Nolan, Brian Maher; Karl Collins, Jack Moore; Adrian Maher, Ronan Teehan 0-2, Gearoid Fahey 0-1; Kevin Slattery, Keane Hayes 0-17 (0-12f, 0-1’65), Darragh Maher 1-1.

Subs: Aidan Guilfoyle for A Maher (53).

Portroe: Diarmuid Boyle; Christopher O’Riordan, Mikey Breen, Justin Conroy; Jack Maloney 0-3, Robert Byrne 0-1f, Brian Keating; Colm Gleeson, Kevin O’Halloran 0-3 (0-2 lineball); Ian O’Donnell, John Sheedy 0-6 (0-4f, 0-2’65), A J Willis 2-2; Ruadhan Mulrooney, Mark Gennery 0-1, Sam Madden.

Subs: Anthony Burke for O’Donnell (48).

Referee: Joe Leahy (Moyne Templetuohy)