Reserve Hurling Cup Semi-final 

Rossa 0-11-1-10 Portaferry 

Kevin Herron reports from Rossa Pairc 

Noah Rogers second half goal was pivotal in Portaferry securing their place in the Antrim Reserve Cup Hurling final after the Down men defeated Rossa 1-10-0-11 at Pairc Rossa on Wednesday evening. 

Calum O’Neill converted an early free to give the visitors the lead, but Diarmaid Rogan replied from the same scenario. 

Rogan sent two further placed balls between the posts and brought his tally to four after Eoin Magee had temporarily halved the deficit. 

Portaferry would get to grips with things and an excellent Conor O’Neill point from play was followed by back-to-back frees from namesake Calum to edge their side 0-05-0-04 ahead. 

The hosts would ensure that parity was restored at the break thanks to a wonderful long-range attempt by Rogan that dropped over the bar. 

O’Neill dropped over his fourth free of the evening to restore his sides lead upon the resumption and a long range placed ball from Deaglan Mallon had Portaferry two to the good. 

Rossa hit back when Cormac McGettigan popped the ball off to Jim Reynolds to swing over a fine point. 

Conor Boyle then found a yard of space, continued his run, and dropped an angled shot over the bar to make it 0-07 apiece. 

The decisive moment arrived almost instantly after Rossa had drawn parity as Conor Fay held the ball up and laid it off for Noah Rogers to steer his low shot past Eoghan O’Neill and into the net to move the Down outfit 1-07-0-07 ahead. 

Rossa responded positively to their set-back, however. Diarmaid Rogan converted his first free of the second period and then dropped over his second from play and they then pegged level through a fine Daire Cunningham point. 

Points were then traded between the sides as a nice score from Brendan Coleman was cancelled out by a second Rogan free from an acute angle. 

Portaferry just had that little more composure coming down the home straight and successive frees from Calum O’Neill ensured that they would dig out a hard earned 1-10-0-11 win at the conclusion to move into the final of Reserve Hurling Cup. 

Rossa: E O’Neill, P Moyes, N Crossan, B McCauley, C Boyle (0-01), J Kerr, D Cunningham (0-01), N Devlin, C McGettigan, J Reynolds (0-01), O May, D Rogan (0-08, 0-06f), C O’Neill, C Rocks, R Murray. 

Portaferry: C Kelly , J Roddy, E O’Neill, R Kiernan, D Mallon (0-01f), C O’Neill (0-01), C Savage, N White, S Conlon, B Coleman (0-01), E Magee (0-01), N Rogers (1-00), N Milligan, C O’Neill (0-06f). 

Referee: Piaras McCaffrey (St Galls)