DLS out to silence Gunners

THE Waterford senior hurling championship is down to the last four, with two derby pairings this weekend.

While tomorrow’s Walsh Park meeting of champions De La Salle and the 2009 winners Ballygunner merits top billing, today’s Fraher Field clash of rivals Tallow and Ballyduff Upper is also an intriguing prospect.

De La Salle and Ballygunner have claimed the last three titles between them and tomorrow’s winners will be favourites to claim county honours.

De La Salle were hugely impressive in topping their group with John Mullane, Kevin Moran, Bryan Phelan, Stephen Daniel, Michael Doherty and Paudi Nevin their chief stars.

Opponents Ballygunner suffered a shock defeat to Mount Sion in the group stage but that was the only blip in their campaign. They are led by Shane, David, and Brian O’Sullivan, Stephen O’Keeffe, Stephen Power along with Paraic and Philip Mahony.

Tallow and Ballyduff Upper have upset the form book in making this stage of the championship.

Both sides have also suffered heavy defeats in earlier rounds, Tallow to Ballygunner and Ballyduff to Lismore.

Ballyduff look to county captain Stephen Molumphy to provide inspirational leadership, while his Tallow counterpart, James Murray is in stunning form this eason. Marginal favouritism rests with Ballyduff primarily on the strength of their quarter-final defeat of Mount Sion but they must be wary of a Tallow outfit who defeated Lismore last time out.