Waterford Senior Hurling Championship Final

BALLYGUNNER 1-24 DE LA SALLE 1-15

By Tomas McCarthy at Walsh Park

A man of the match display from Dessie Hutchinson saw Ballygunner complete six Waterford SHC titles in a row this afternoon.

In his first final, the former Brighton & Hove Albion soccer player scored 1-3 from corner forward. The 22 year old finished the campaign with 3-17 from play. Pauric Mahony weighed in with twelve points (six from free and six from play).

The reigning Munster champions were severely tested as challengers De La Salle threatened an upset entering the last quarter when they closed within two points with the wind at their backs. Eddie Meaney, Cormac McCann and Jake Dillon spurred them on. The holders responded with eight unanswered points. Paddy Leavy, Barry O’Sullivan, Mahony, Peter Hogan, Hutchinson and Conor Power saw them home. They are now 33 matches undefeated in the Déise.

The underdogs won the toss but decided to play against a stiff breeze. The Gunners eased into a nine-point lead inside the first quarter as Salle’s short game crumbled under pressure.

Hutchinson goaled in the fifth minute after he was picked out by Michael Mahony. Five Pauric Mahony singles (three from play) left them 1-7 to 0-1 in front. Thomas Douglas and Jake Dillon struck points for De La Salle before Eddie Meaney reignited their challenge with a goal on 20 minutes. His fifth of the season.

Two points from Meaney and one each by Dillon and Jack Fagan cut the arrears to three approaching the interval. Mahony had the last two points of the half, to increase his tally to eight, as Darragh O’Sullivan’s men headed to the dressing rooms five ahead (1-11 to 1-6).

Peter Hogan pushed it out to six on the restart. Salle moved back within four as Fagan, Adam Farrell and Cormac McCann all split the posts (1-13 to 1-9). The champions responded through Conor Sheahan and Mahony.

The 2012 winners got the next three however. Shane McNulty nailed a 65, McCann hit his third and Meaney added another (1-15 to 1-13).

The Gunners kept their composure. Five unanswered points in a two-minute purple patch put the game to bed.

Scorers for Ballygunner: Pauric Mahony 0-12 (6fs), Dessie Hutchinson 1-3, Peter Hogan 0-3, Conor Sheahan 0-2, Barry O’Sullivan, Tim O’Sullivan, Paddy Leavy, Conor Power 0-1 each.

Scorers for De La Salle: Eddie Meaney 1-3, Jack Fagan, Cormac McCann, Jake Dillon 0-3 each, Shane McNulty (65), Adam Farrell, Eddie Meaney 0-1 each.

BALLYGUNNER: Stephen O'Keeffe; Ian Kenny, Eddie Hayden, Barry Coughlan; Shane O’Sullivan, Philip Mahony, Billy O’Keeffe; Conor Sheahan, Paddy Leavy; Barry O’Sullivan, Pauric Mahony, Michael Mahony; Peter Hogan, Tim O'Sullivan, Dessie Hutchinson.

Subs: Conor Power for Tim O’Sullivan (45), Wayne Hutchinson for Sheahan (60), JJ Hutchinson for Leavy (60), Barry Power for Billy O'Keeffe (62).

DE LA SALLE: Shaun O’Brien; Ryan Duke, Conor Giles Doran, Michael Doherty; Shane McNulty, Kevin Moran, Tom Moran; Eddie Barrett, Adam Farrell; Jake Dillon, Jack Fagan, Paidi Nevin; Cormac McCann, Thomas Douglas, Eddie Meaney.

Subs: Shane Ryan for Nevin (45), Dean Twomey for Farrell (51).

REFEREE: Michael O’Brien.