Portaferry to forget league form

Portaferry’s Conor O’Prey

Down SHC semi-final
St Patrick’s, Portaferry v Ballygalget
Saturday, Ballycran, 4pm

Ballygalget enter this semi-final with rivals Portaferry with doubts over a host of key players as they try to forget their poor league form.

Paul Coulter’s side are rooted to the bottom of the Antrim division one table with just two wins from 12 matches, and they are very much up against is on Saturday afternoon.

With key players like Gareth Johnston and Gary Flynn still out of the country, their cause has not been helped by a trio of injuries to some of their county players. Highly-rated minor Caolan Bailie is a serious doubt due to a hamstring problem while Stephen Clarke has dislocated his shoulder. Corner-forward Danny Toner may also miss out having broken two fingers in his hand.

“We are missing about five or six players from a few years ago,” said Coulter. “We have a very small panel this year once injuries come into play and that makes the task much harder.

“But they are a dedicated bunch and anything can happen in a championship match, but we know we are massive underdogs.

“But emigration has really hit us hard. We have boys in Australia, boys in America, we even have one boy away to Cardiff, so we know how tough it is.”