Club News 9th September

Club News
Donegal League defence to go the distance
Cathal Canning and his Donegal League squad have booked their place in the final after a tense win over Strabane this evening.
The second leg was amid gusting winds in Strabane, with Portsalon leading 4-1 from the first leg.
The home side were always likely to push things to the wire in their attempts to overturn that deficit and so it proved.
Keeping things tight was going to be the order of the day, with Portsalon attempting to grab that one game on the road.
The opening two pairings, Ryan McGettigan & Shane Magee and Johnny Shields & Jack Friel were defeated 2&1, enough to leave Portsalon still five holes to the good.
The remaining three games on the course were all on holes 17 and 18 with the tension ratcheted up.
Eamonn McConigley and Kevin Boyce led their game 1up and won the 18th for a 2up win and the point Portsalon needed to secure the win.
Behind, both pairings of Davitt Walsh & Stephen Connolly and Alistair Rodger and Paddy McGowan were 1 down through 17 holes, ensuring there wasn't enough holes left for Strabane to overturn the outcome and the final two games were called in.
Well done to Team Captain Cathal on reaching the final once more, where his side will face Buncrana GC for the Paddy Carr Donegal League crown and the chance for Portsalon to land back-to-back wins for the first time.

Donegal Seniors falls short in Murvagh
Commiserations to Team Captain Joe Hensey and his gallant Donegal Seniors squad after they came up agonisingly short in their county final against Donegal GC in Murvagh on Sunday.
Portsalon took a 3.5 to 1.5 advantage from the first leg on home soil as they travelled through the gap for the second set of matches.
It was always going to be a tough challenge for the visiting side against a strong selection from Murvagh.
Portsalon's opening pairing of Shane Magee and Pascal Cullen were defeated and matches three and four also went Murvagh's way despite the best effort of Enda Cullen & Eunan McGlynn and Alistair Rodger & Brian Devlin.
Hope sprang eternal for Portsalon as Diarmuid Logue and Philip Durning won match two on the course to put victory overall in the mix.
It left the final pairing of Chuck McTaggart and John Logue with the game hinging on their tie. Their match was close from start to finish and came through 16 holes all-square but it was Murvagh that went 1up after 17, enough to seal a county title for their Captain Donie McIntyre and his squad with Portsalon beaten on holes.
A tough loss for skipper Joe and his troops after a good summer, the second year in a row they have fallen one short, but they certainly cannot be faulted on effort and commitment.
Congratulations to Murvagh on their hard-earned victory and for the sporting manner in which both legs of the final were played.

Club Results
Wednesday September 3rd
Winner: Colm McConigley ( 8 ) – 39 pts
Saturday September 6th
Winner: Cian Page (5) – 40 pts
Runner-up: Seamus Conner (1) – 39 pts BOT
Gross: Kevin Hensey (4) – 31 gross pts

Sunday September 7th
Winner: Ivan Brunt (20) – 38 pts
Runner-up: Fergal Coll (21) – 35 pts
Gross: Shaun Strain ( 8 ) – 26 gross pts
Third: Gerard Duffy (13) – 34 pts

Ladies News

Past Captains
The annual past Captains day is Saturday 20th March. Lady Captain Roisin
McCormack looks forward to welcoming Portsalon Golf Club’s past captains. If
you have not responded to your invite indicating playing and attending the
evening meal, please let her know.

Mary McDaid Cup
The annual inter-club Mary McDaid Cup will be played on the 27th September.
Notification to follow of qualifying dates for the team.

Weekend Members Competition
Winner – Eileen McLarnon 35 pts
Runner-Up – Mary Barrett 33pts