Big guns fire Mount Sion through

Mount Sion 1-19 Abbeyside 0-11

So it was in this Waterford SHC quarter-final in a blustery but sunny Fraher Field in Dungarvan yesterday.

Mount Sion, the champions, had Ian O’Regan in goal, Anthony Kirwan at full-back, Tony Browne and Brian Flannery in the half-back line, Ken McGrath lording midfield, his brother Eoin nominally at wing-forward but blazing a trail all over the pitch, Miceal White and Roy McGrath inside. County stars all - and all were in fine form yesterday.

Because of the magnificent protection he was given by an outstanding defence, O’Regan didn’t have an awful lot to do between the sticks, but tidied up well, while his puck-outs were well placed and lengthy.

Kirwan looked the part on the edge of the square, Flannery was strong and controlled on the wing, Eoin McGrath his usual non-stop self, while Roy, nominally full-forward but playing as a third midfielder in the opening half, notched 1-1 from play, White coming in with a brace of points.

Most telling of all, however, was the display of their two biggest stars.

Ken McGrath started at midfield, played there against the breeze in the first half and contributed four invaluable points in that period.

In the second half he shifted to centre-forward and had five points, two of those from play.

Truly a masterful display, but even that had to take second place to that produced by Tony Browne.

Operating at centre-back, Browne was regal, lighting up what was already a fine autumn afternoon, and while Ken McGrath’s scoring heroics at one end were keeping the scoreboard operator in business, were it not for Browne, Abbeyside would have been much closer to the champions at game’s end.

He was simply magnificent. All of this, and we haven’t even mentioned the three-point contribution of second-half substitute Eoin Kelly.

At half time it was 1-6 to 0-9 with Mount Sion’s goal coming from Roy McGrath in the 12th minute, on hand to tap home a dangerous batted save by Abbeyside keeper Patrick Enright.

That strike put Mount Sion 1-3 to 0-4 ahead.

Tit-for-tat more or less, it was from there to the break with Abbeyside finishing with a hat-trick of points to tie it up.

Mount Sion, however, were merely waiting for the change-round and the favourable elements.

Right from the restart they jumped in front and a procession of points from a variety of angles, distances and scorers - six on the trot, then five, the sequence broken by just a single point from Abbeyside (a pointed free by Mark Gorman, and even that was a harsh call) - had them totally in control by the 53rd minute, 1-17 to 0-10, a lead they extended by another point by close of play.

When all those big guns are firing, as they were yesterday, this is one hell of an impressive outfit.

Scorers: Mount Sion: K McGrath 0-9 (0-5 frees); R McGrath 1-1; E McGrath 0-3; E Kelly 0-3; M White 0-2; B Browne 0-1. Abbeyside: M Gorman 0-5 (0-4 frees); P Hurney 0-4; M Fives, P Phelan, 0-1 each.

MOUNT SION: I O’Regan; J O’Meara, A Kirwan, K Flynn; J Cleere, T Browne, B Flannery; J O’Farrell, K McGrath; E McGrath, M Frisby, K Stafford; M White, R McGrath, B Browne.

Subs: E Kelly (Frisby 30); F O’Shea (O’Farrell 34); D Kelly (Stafford 53); P Browne (T Browne inj 61); P McGrath (Cleere 61).

ABBEYSIDE: P Enright; D Cliffe, J Kindergan, B Scanlon; J Phelan, S Briggs, P Phelan; J Hurney, M Fives; M Gorman, G Hurney, P Hurney; M Enright, L Hurney, J Foley.

Subs: J Gorman (Enright 37); R Foley (J Foley 51); J Mullen (P Phelan 55).

Referee: S Flynn (Fenor).