Waterford SHC: Second half surge sees Mount Sion into final

Martin O’Neill’s second half haul of 1-3 was vital as Mount Sion qualified for their first Waterford SHC final in eight years with win over De La Salle

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: De La Salle's Tom Moran challenges Alan Kirwan of Mount Sion. Pic: INPHO/Tom Maher

MOUNT SION 1-19 DE LA SALLE 2-12 

Martin O’Neill’s second half haul of 1-3 was vital as Mount Sion qualified for their first Waterford SHC final in eight years.

As they were in 2014, Ballygunner will be their opponents as they proved a better team than De La Salle particularly in the second half O’Neill’s 39th minute goal owed plenty to Alan Kirwan’s quick-thinking in passing into his team-mate rather than adding to his personal total of three points.

De La Salle were within a point up to the 52nd minute but Mount Sion streaked ahead with four scores on the bounce, two of them from Austin Gleeson.

A Reuben Halloran goal in the 58th minute set up a dramatic finale but Gleeson produced a long-range free to give Mount Sion some more comfort and O’Neill confirmed the victory with his third point at the death.

Mount Sion led 0-4 to 0-1 in the seventh minute before De La Salle settled and were on level terms midway through the half. Both teams were guilty of wayward shooting towards the end of the half but some of the individual battles were enthralling.

In particular, the duel between Waterford team-mates Gleeson and Jack Fagan caught most people’s attention, Fagan initially taking up Gleeson at left wing-forward. However, Fagan often forayed forward and was close to scoring a 14th minute goal when he moved free of the former hurler of the year only for Mount Sion goalkeeper Ian O’Regan to be level to the shot.

Halloran sent over the resultant 65 to square the game but Mount Sion began to take advantage of the wind in the final quarter. Gleeson and Owen Whelan put them two clear and Kirwan sent over a brace after an Eddie Barrett score to make it 0-9 to 0-6 at the turnaround.

Scorers for Mount Sion: A. Gleeson (0-6, 3 frees); M. O’Neill (1-3); A. Kirwan (0-3); O. Whelan, S. Roche (0-2 each); J. Meaney, J. Gleeson, E. Curran (0-1 each).

Scorers for De La Salle: R. Halloran (1-4, 0-3 frees, 0-1 65); E. Meaney (1-0); B. Cunningham (0-2); T. Douglas, E. Barrett, C. McCann, J. Dillon, T. Moran, J. Fagan (0-1 each).

MOUNT SION: I. O’Regan; P.J. Fanning, L. O’Brien, M. Daykin; Martin F. O’Neill, S. O’Neill, B. Flanagan; S. Roche, E. Curran; A. Kirwan, O. Whelan, A. Gleeson; J. Meaney, Martin O’Neill, J. Gleeson.

Subs for Mount Sion: P. Penkert for P.J. Fanning (41); D. Burke for J. Meaney (42).

DE LA SALLE: S. O’Brien; L. Wall, A. Farrell, T. Moran; S. O’Neill; J. Fagan, E. Madigan, K. Moran; E. Barrett, J. Dillon; C. McCann, R. Halloran, E. Meaney; B. Cunningham, T. Douglas.

Subs for De La Salle: S. Carton for B. Cunningham (34); D. Kenneally for E. Madigan (inj 46).

Referee: T. Walsh (Modeligo).