Hartley ‘surprised’ as new-look Gunners eye title

HARD to believe of a club who’ve contested the last eight county finals, but Ballygunner’s Fergal Hartley says his club’s expectations were “modest” before this year’s senior hurling championship began in Waterford.

Though they’d contested the last eight finals, they were missing over half of their victorious Munster club championship side of 2001 and felt they were a team in transition.

Hence Hartley’s frank confession ahead of Sunday’s eagerly-awaited final against Ballyduff Upper.

“I’m somewhat surprised that we are through to the decider because at the start of the year our expectations for the championship were fairly modest, and I would not have expected us to be where we are right now.”

Still, the star centre-back admits that confidence grew as the Gunners’ odyssey gathered momentum — despite the fact that they’re missing names from that 2001 season such as Stephen Frampton, Billy and Daragh O’Sullivan, Ray Whitty, Tom Fives, Paul Power, Mick Mahoney, Paul Foley (now back with his native Stradbally), and Tony Carroll.

“To have to replace even one of those would be a tough task,” says Hartley, “But to find adequate replacements for all nine of them is a monumental one. That is why we had to be realistic in setting the bar for ourselves this year.”

Hartley adds that he, Rory O’Sullivan, goalkeeper Pat Haran, and Paul Flynn have all won seven senior championship medals with the Gunners and are now the “elder statesmen” of the side.

Hartley’s first championship medal came back in 1992, the same year he starred at wing back on the Waterford team that won their only All-Ireland U-21 hurling championship when beating a Brian Whelehan-captained Offaly at Nowlan Park.

He was also a key member of the Gunners “three-in-a-row” side of 1995-97 and picked up other county medals in 1999, 2001, and 2005, while he also captained Waterford to Munster championship glory in 2002.

Hartley retired from intercounty hurling in 2004 but was persuaded by manager Justin McCarthy to return in 2005.

“It didn’t really work out for me as I had hoped however, and with our defeat in that year’s championship campaign that was the end of my Waterford career.” Now 36, he says he’s taking “just one season at a time” in the black and red of Ballygunner.

A quarter-final replay victory over champions Mount Sion and their subsequent semi-final defeat of Dan Shanahan’s Lismore has installed the Gunners as favourites to win their 11th title. But Hartley sounds a note of caution about a Ballyduff Upper team he rates as the best they’ve played this season.

“I believe we were seriously flattered by our 4-13 to 0-13 replay victory over Mount Sion”, Hartley insists. “Everything that could go right for us that day did and our four first-half goals all came at the right time.”

Hartley wastes no time in pointing out that in the group stage of the championship they were beaten by Ballyduff Upper by seven points, a margin that would have been even more but for a late goal the Gunners scored from a free — and the same day the winners had to line out without one of their best players, Michael Molumphy.

“They beat us fair and square again just seven weeks ago and we were completely powerless to prevent them from doing so.

“Ballyduff Upper, in my book, are the up and coming team in the county, and they are undoubtedly the people’s choice to win on Sunday. They are also, in my view, the best hurling team we have played this year.”

Historically, Ballyduff have a decent record against the Gunners, and Hartley recalls their victory over his club in the 1998 championship. It’s exactly that kind of performance which has the star centre back advising caution ahead of the weekend.

“Just to have reached this final has taken more work for us than in any previous year,” he said. “Hopefully it will pay dividends on Sunday, but I honestly wouldn’t be certain that it will”.