Ballygunner fight back, Austin Gleeson sent off as 12-man Sion slump

Ballygunner had to dig deep to extend their unbeaten run to 51 championship games

Ballygunner's Dessie Hutchinson about to gain possession against Abbeyside’s Brian Looby during Rd1 of the J.J.Kavanagh & Sons Waterford Senior Hurling Championship in Fraher Field.

Waterford SHC

Ballygunner’s quest for a tenth consecutive Waterford Senior Hurling Championship got off to an ideal start as they saw off Abbeyside to extend their unbeaten record in the Déise to 51 games.

Darragh O’Sullivan’s men were 1-21 to 0-16 victors at the finish, but were up against it for the vast majority of the first half at Fraher Field, going in six points behind at the break.

Despite being without Conor Prunty and Michael Kiely, Abbeyside were winning every individual battle in the opening half hour - and brought a deserved 0-12 to 0-6 advantage into the dressing room.

The Gunners looked far more like their usual selves in the second period - Dessie Hutchinson notching six points from play while teenager Pádraig Fitzgerald added to his growing stock with 1-2. Pauric Mahony top-scored for the champions with 0-7.

They can book their place in the quarter-finals as Group A winners should they see off Passage next time out.

Last year’s runners-up Mount Sion were left stunned in the championship opener at Carrickbeg on Friday night - with Fourmilewater running out comfortable 2-18 to 0-14 winners against the Monastery men.

First half goals from Sean Walsh and Michael Morrissey did the damage for Michael Ryan’s men, but a lot of the damage was self-inflicted from a Mount Sion perspective.

Paraic Fanning and Liam Dunne’s side were reduced to 12 men by the 59th minute, as a result of three second-half red cards. Mikey Daykin was first to walk on 45 minutes following a second yellow card, before Jamie Gleeson got his marching orders eight minutes later as a result of a high challenge.

His brother, former Hurler of the Year, Austin, completed the three-man complement on 57 minutes when he was shown red for an off-the-ball incident. Sion will now have to defeat Tallow to progress from Group B.

De La Salle notched an impressive 3-23 in their Group D clash with Dungarvan, seeing off the Old Boro (2-17) with nine points to spare.

Waterford midfielder Reuben Halloran starred with 0-12, as goals from Thomas ‘Tonto’ Douglas, underage prospect Jack Twomey and Eddie Meaney secured the points on offer for Ian Flynn’s charges.

The sides were level at the break but De La Salle kicked on in the second half to leave Dungarvan behind, despite the best efforts of Michael Kiely (0-13) and Patrick Curran, who buried two goals.

Despite their positive start, it was somewhat of a bittersweet evening for De La Salle, who lost captain Eddie Barrett to a leg injury in first-half stoppage time. Dunhill stand between the city side and a place in the last 8.

Roanmore and Lismore faced off at Fraher Field for a Saturday evening throw-in in Group C, with two new yet familiar faces in the dugout - with Roanmore having hired former Waterford U-20 boss Stephen Gough, while ex-Déise netminder Brendan Landers is walking the line with his native Lismore.

It was Gough’s men who got instant advantage with Conor Ryan scoring a goal after just 11 seconds, but Lismore responded via Oisin O’Gorman as the sides were locked at 1-10 apiece come the interval.

The turning point came in the second half when impressive youngster Ben O’Sullivan was sensationally hooked by Frank McGrath, and the Sky Blues worked the sliotar up the field for Shane Mackey, who finished with 1-3, to slot home the all-important decisive goal.

Maurice Shanahan and Lismore threw the kitchen sink in search of a late response, but Roanmore held firm to start the campaign with an important 2-21 to 1-19 victory.