Portlaw are county intermediate hurling champions after a pillar to post 5-17 to 2-13 win over Ballyduff Upper at a bright and breezy Fraher Field. Captain Darren Rockett and injured attacker DJ Foran accepted the trophy as the Eastern side made amends for last year's defeat to Brickey Rangers.
In the absence of Foran, Evan Burrows scored thirteen points for the Tannery men (nine frees and four from play). Lethal inside men Cormac Rooney and John Power fired 2-2 apiece while Jordan O'Sullivan also raised a green flag.
The outcome was never in doubt as Portlaw went for the jugular from the throw in. With wind assistance, they led by thirteen points at the break. Ballyduff won the toss but chose to play against the elements. In the fifth minute, a defence splitting move involving Shane Power and Jordan O'Sullivan put Cormac Rooney through one on one and he made no mistake. Two minutes later, John Power flicked the sliotar around goalkeeper Conor Sheehan and whipped home.
Tireoghain Flynn opened Ballyduff Upper's account before Portlaw number six Blake O'Connor denied Sean Hickey a goal. Jordan O'Sullivan found the corner of the net on fourteen minutes when he emerged from a goalmouth scramble. The gap stood at fourteen by the end of the first quarter.
Ballyduff put together four points in a row, including two Mikey Kearney frees, but Evan Burrows and John Power left Portlaw 3-11 to 0-7 ahead at the interval. Burrows finished that opening half on 0-7.
John Power put the game to bed three minutes into the second period when he fired low to the net after collecting a pass from Jordan O'Sullivan (4-12 to 0-7). Flynn got his third point for Ballyduff before Kearney added three to his tally. Cathal Murphy netted a consolation goal on 53 minutes after Killian Dee saved brilliantly from Michael Kearney.
Burrows brought his tally to thirteen and received rapturous applause when he was substituted. Murphy got his second goal of the evening but Cormac Rooney replied almost immediately when man of the match John Power supplied him.
