Ballygunner brush Kilruane MacDonaghs challenge aside to set-up Na Piarsaigh date
CLASSY FORWARD: Dessie Hutchinson of Ballygunner. Pic: Piaras Ó MÃdheach/Sportsfile
Ballygunner, once again, made light work of a two-month hiatus, their short-passing crisp and their shooting sharp as ever in a 17-point victory over Kilruane MacDonaghs.
They scored 4-16 from play, with their full-forward line making hay. Kevin Mahony blasted 2-2, Patrick Fitzgerald, in his first year out of minor, picked off 1-4, and Dessie Hutchinson did all his scoring early for a 0-3 tally.
Their subs, too, had an impact. All-Ireland-winning goalscorer Harry Ruddle, who has played for their intermediate team all year, got a goal, Club Hurling Team of the Year member Billy O'Keeffe 0-2, and Jake Foley added a point. Some pool of resources in that panel.
Kilruane ran short on bodies in the end. Two of their outstanding defenders this year, Aaron Morgan and Niall O’Meara, exiting injured.
Neither side had ideal preparation for this one. Kilruane with too short a lead-in to celebrate and recover from celebrating a first Tipperary SHC title in 37 years, Ballygunner with too long a lay off.Â
But the Waterford champions know how to manage their eight-week break and this victory had echoes of their 3-20 to 2-6 demolition of Ballyea at this stage last year.
The nine-in-a-row Waterford champions now face Na Piarsaigh in Limerick a fortnight down the road in a semi-final that serves as a repeat of the 2018 Munster final.
Ballygunner, choosing to play into the wind in the first half, had the better of the opening exchanges. They struck four points in a row to open up a 6-2 lead, with Hutchinson finding space to land the first three of those, while Cian Darcy supplied Kilruane’s brace.
There were goal chances at either end. Philip Mahony’s hook denied Willie Cleary a shot on goal, while Páidà Williams’ superb diving save stopped Kevin Mahony from netting. That kept Kilruane in it, only three points down, but Ballygunner scored the next three anyway – Pauric Mahony scoring two, the latter from an intercepted puck-out making it 0-10 to 0-4.
Kilruane fought on with inspirational points from Jerome Cahill – turning over the ball and twisting and twirling away from defenders to score – and Eoin Hogan, again winning his own ball and running forward to score.
They’d have happily taken that four-point deficit into the half but on the stroke of half-time, Ballygunner forced their own turnover and with a 3-on-2 they are so clinicial. Pauric Mahony to Peter Hogan to Fitzgerald to the back of the net. 1-11 to 0-7 at half-time.
They struck again just after the break. Kevin Mahony followed his opening point with a goal, again set up by Hogan. Mahony, knocked to the ground, fired to the net from his knees.
Kilruane hit three in a row in response but Ballygunner hit back a 2-2 without reply; the goals from Ruddle and Kevin Mahony in the 46th and 53rd minutes.Â
It was 4-16 to 0-12 now and all that was left to be decided was the final margin of victory.
K Mahony (2-2); P Fitzgerald (1-4); Pauric Mahony (0-6, 3 frees); H Ruddle (1-0); D Hutchinson (0-3); B O’Keeffe (0-2); P Hogan, J Foley (0-1 each).
W Cleary (0-5 frees); C Darcy (0-3); J Cahill (0-2); N O’Meara, E Hogan, S McAdams, K O’Kelly (0-1 each).
S O’Keeffe; B Coughlan, I Kenny (j-capt), T Foley; S O’Sullivan, Philip Mahony, R Power; C Sheahan, P Leavey; Pauric Mahony, M Mahony, P Hogan; D Hutchinson (j-capt), P Fitzgerald, K Mahony.
Subs: B O’Keeffe for M Mahony (33 inj), H Ruddle for Hogan (43), J Foley for Fitzgerald (48), T Gallagher for Power (50), T O’Sullivan for K Mahony (53).
P Williams; J Cleary, A Morgan, J Peters; Eoin Hogan, N O’Meara, K Cahill; M O’Neill, C Austin; W Cleary, S McAdams, C Darcy; T Cleary, J Cahill (capt), K O’Kelly.
S Hennessy for Morgan (14 inj), C Williams for O’Meara (42 inj), C Cleary for Austin (46), E Carroll for W Cleary (55), R Grace for K Cahill (58), R Austin for T Cleary (58).
N Malone (Clare).
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