Portumna 0-19 Pearses 2-10: Damien Hayes and Joe Canning were the difference as they got the vital scores at the end of this game, in Duggan Park, to get Portumna over the line. Pearses trailed at half time, but 1-2 after the break had put them back in the lead. However, Portumna made better use of their scoring opportunities in the final-quarter.
After an evenly contested opening, Portumna hit four points in a row to go three up. Then arrived the first goal of the game, as Lee Murphy got a deft touch to a dropping Tomás Flannery free, deflecting it past Joe Keane in the Portumna goal, 1-2 to 0-5. Further points from Murphy and Flannery put Pearses in front, but a strong finish to the half, in torrential rain, by Portumna seen them go in 0-10 to 1-5 up at the break.
After an initial trading of points on the resumption, Lee Murphy was played in by Gary Lally for Pearses second goal. A couple of minutes later a poor clearance by Portumna fell to Damien Wynne and he sent it back over the bar. Canning hit the next three Portumna scores to draw them level, before sub Cormac Ward was close to finding the net for Pearses after fetching a high delivery to the edge of the square. His shot going just wide.
With seven minutes remaining Portumna lead by one, 0-16 to 2-9. A schmozzle on the stand side touchline halted proceedings momentarily, but Portumna emerged from the resulting throw-in with a free which Canning put over from 65 metres. Ronan O’Meara and Kerrill Hardiman exchanged points, before Hayes sealed the Portumna win with another point.
PEARSES: F. Flannery; A. Bellew, T. Kenny, R. Lally; R. O’Neill, R. Bellew, K. Hardiman (0-1f); S. Hardiman, C. Raftery; T. Flannery (0-7f); D. Wynne (0-1), J. Gelston; L. Murphy (2-1), E. Ward, G. Lally. Subs used: C. Ward, B. Sweeney.
PORTUMNA: J Keane; G. Heagney, E. Lynch, L. Smith; P. Smith, M. Dolphin, O. Canning; J. Canning (0-12, 9f), A. Smith (0-1); I. Canning (0-1), D. Hayes (0-4), K. Hayes; O. Royston, R. O’Meara (0-1), P. Dolphin. Sub: C. Comerford