AIB Munster SHC: Ballygunner through to another Munster Final
Dessie Hutchinson of Ballygunner races away from Cillian Roche of Sarsfields during the AIB Munster GAA Hurling Senior Club Championship semi-final match between Ballygunner and Sarsfields at Azzurri Walsh Park in Waterford. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile.
AIB Munster Club SHC semi-final
BALLYGUNNER 4-18 SARSFIELDS 2-17
Ballygunner roared into an eighth straight AIB Munster Club SHC final as they led from trap to line against Sarsfields at Azzurri Walsh Park on Sunday afternoon.
A proud unbeaten record at the Waterford city venue now stretches to 47 championship games, back to a 2015 loss to De La Salle, and there was only the slightest smidgin of it coming into question here.
An imperious first-half display put the Gunners 14 ahead at one stage but a spirited Sars response coming up to half-time, under-pinned by a marvellous Daniel Hogan goal, had the gap down to eight points by the break.
When Hogan was in the right place to touch a loose ball to the net less than a minute into the second half, it was 2-11 to 2-6 but Ballygunner’s composure never wavered and they capitalised on defensive lapses by the Cork champions to find the net twice in quick succession, through Patrick Fitzgerald and Kevin Mahony, to make the outcome safe.
Jason Ryan’s side will represent a strong proposition in the final as they chase a fifth title during this run of deciders. In the opening half, they found space superbly and their movement pulled Sars out of place.
They were 1-4 to 0-1 in front when Dessie Hutchinson blasted home after Sars goalkeeper Ben Graham had batted a delivery away; after Barry O’Flynn tested Stephen O’Keeffe at the other end, Hutchinson pounced again in the 13th minute after slack defending failed to deal with a Fitzgerald sideline cut.
Fitzgerald himself went close while Pauric Mahony’s free-taking was exemplary as they moved into a 2-11 to 0-3 lead before Sars responded. Hogan’s brilliant individual goal cut the deficit to ten and a free from him and a nice James Sweeney point gave them some hope as they retired.
When Colm McCarthy’s free broke inside on the restart, Sweeney prodded the ball towards goal and Hogan was there to divert it home - game on, it seemed. However, after the next two points were shared, Paddy Leavey’s delivery and more loose defending made it easy for Fitzgerald to raise another green flag; Kevin Mahony’s superb solo goal made it 4-13 to 2-8.
Two more Mahony brothers, Philip and Mikey, were also on song for the Gunners, and Mark Hartley scored two points off the bench before Sars did reduce the margin somewhat in the closing stages.
The outcome was never in doubt, though.
Scorers for Ballygunner: Pauric Mahony 0-10 (0-9 frees, 0-1 65), Dessie Hutchinson 2-1, Patrick Fitzgerald 1-2 (0-1 free), Kevin Mahony 1-1, Mikey Mahony, Mark Hartley 0-2 each.
Scorers for Sarsfields: Daniel Hogan 2-3f (0-2 frees), Colm McCarthy 0-5 (0-3 frees), James Sweeney 0-4, Barry O’Flynn 0-2, Conor O’Sullivan, Luke Elliott, Ben Graham (0-1 free) 0-1 each.
BALLYGUNNER: Stephen O’Keeffe; Aaron O’Neill, Tadhg Foley, Ian Kenny; Harry Ruddle, Philip Mahony, Ronan Power; Conor Sheahan, Paddy Leavey; Pauric Mahony, Mikey Mahony, Peter Hogan; Kevin Mahony, Dessie Hutchinson, Patrick Fitzgerald. Subs: Mark Hartley for Pauric Mahony (49), Conor Tobin for Sheahan (54), Eoin O’Brien for Ronan Power, Eoin Cuddihy for Fitzgerald (both 60+1), Cormac Power for Kevin Mahony (60+4)
SARSFIELDS: Ben Graham; Conor O’Sullivan, Cillian Roche, Donal English; Luke Elliott, Craig Leahy, Bryan Murphy; Daniel Kearney, Killian Murphy; Jack O’Connor, Cian Darcy, Daniel Hogan; Barry O’Flynn, James Sweeney, Colm McCarthy. Subs: Eoghan Murphy for Roche (37), Ben Nodwell for Bryan Murphy (42), Shane O’Regan for Kearney (45), Luke Hackett for K Murphy (58).
Referee: Alan Tierney (Tipperary).
