Down SH Final: Ballygalet 1-9 Portaferry 1-9 The weather did nothing for yesterday's hurling decider at blustery Newcastle, but Ards rivals Ballygalget and Portaferry served up a typical high-octane thriller

A gritty Ballygalget revival was rewarded in the 48th minute when Johnny McGrattan's fifth point of the game brought the teams level. And they were level twice more, the last and most important time when a 59th minute free from the game's top scorer Paul Branniff earned the champions a second opportunity.

BALLYGALGET: G Clarke; L Clarke, P Coulter, S Roddy; T Coulter (0-2), G Clarke, C Branniff; M Pucci, P Monan; B Coulter, B Gallagher, G Johnson (1-0), M Coulter, G McGrattan (0-6), S Clarke (0-1).

PORTAFERRY: G Smith; E Adare, S Murray, M Mallon; G Adare, B Coleman, B Milligan; P Mallon, A Savage; P Rodgers, G McGrattan (0-2), J Convery; E Trainor, P Branniff (1-6), N Sands (0-1).

Referee: HP McCusker.