Munster Express Online

Portlaw 1-12; Tramore 0-8

For sheer endeavour this match at Walsh Park on Wednesday evening last would be hard to beat.

The overall quality of the hurling may not have been top drawer but it developed into a ding dong struggle, a battle for supremacy with defences for the most part in command.

The first half produced little by way of scores. Tramore, with the advantage of the wind, were very much on top in the middle of the field, where Kevin Feeley and Sean Galvin gave them the edge, leading by two points at half-time.

Portlaw quickly got down to their task on the resumption and inside eight minutes of the restart, equality existed thanks to well-taken points from Niall Donnelly and Niall Fitzgerald.

As the game wore on, Portlaw’s incessant pressure could not be denied. And when Niall Donnelly worked his way through for the game’s only goal in the 48th minute, once sensed that it marked the beginning of the end of Tramore’s bid for a first win in this new style championship.

Portlaw: Keith Norris, Shane Norris, Darren Russell, Patrick Kearns, Anthony Fitzpatrick, Patrick Power, James O’Donoghue, Niall Fitzgerald, Blake O’Connor, Richard Fitzpatrick, Gavin O’Connor, Ivan O’Connor, Craig O’Neill, David Kearns, Niall Donnelly.

Scorers: Niall Donnelly 1-2, Niall Fitzgerald 0-4, Pat Power 0-3, James O’Donoghue, Ivan O’Connor and Blake O’Connor 0-1 each.

Tramore: Eoin Dunphy, Brendan Hogan, Sean Fitzpatrick, John Long, Conor Kennedy, Colm Griffin, Eoin Kiely, Kevin Feeley, Sean Galvin, Eamonn Power, David Hayes. Drew Keating, Dara Blount, Niall Watters, Conor McCarthy.

Scorers: Kevin Feeley and Eamonn Power 0-3 each, David Hayes and Sean Galvin 0-1 each.

Referee: Conor Ahearne (Ferrybank).