Portumna get a scare

THIS was a game that was going along predictable lines with the All-Ireland Club champions seemingly set for a comfortable victory when it suddenly dawned on Carnmore that they had half a chance of causing a major upset, but that realisation came too late at Loughrea on Sunday as Portumna continued on their winning ways.Not for the first time their was a bit of an edge to proceedings between these two sides, and while a minor scuffle broke out with an hour’s hurling done, their was hairraising stuff to come in injury time when a melee involving the bulk of the players and some of the substitutes from both sides broke out, leaving a sour taste at the end.When tempers cooled down most of the unsightly exploits were filed in the unsolved category with only Portumna’s Joe Canning and Carnmore’s Shane Hynes receiving yellow cards but, in truth, several others were lucky to escape the attention of referee Pascal Sheehan.The winners lined out minus the services of Eugene McEntee, Michael Ryan, Aidan O’Donnell, Leo Smith and Davy Canning, all out injured, but their attack was nowhere as free flowing as we have come to expect with only Andy Smith and ace marksman Joe Canning measuring up to the high standards they have set for themselves.Portumna opened...