Waterford SHC: City slickers first to reach last-eight

Patrick Fitzgerald has now scored 2-7 from play in this year's championship after adding 1-5 in Ballygunner's win.

Sun, 06 Aug, 2023 - 15:47

Darragh O'Flynn

Three city teams - Roanmore, De La Salle and Ballygunner - have become the first sides to book their place in the Waterford SHC quarterfinals.

Fourmilewater will complete the quarterfinal line-up if they beat Tallow next Sunday. If they do so, it will be the first time in four years that Michael Ryan’s side won’t play Ballygunner at this stage of the competition.

De La Salle, who beat Dungarvan a week ago, became the first team to qualify for the last eight as they beat Dunill 3-22 to 0-13 in the SETU WIT Arena. It took last year's county semi-finalists 29 minutes to take the lead as they were playing against a strong breeze but eventually went into the break leading 0-12 to 0-10.

However, it quickly fell away thereafter for Dunhill, who only stayed up in the top grade this season due to Ballygunner’s second team winning the Intermediate championship. Thomas ‘Tonto’ Douglas increased his championship goal tally to three thanks to a brace in the second half.

Darragh O’Sullivan’s ten-in-a-row chasing Ballygunner side made light work of local rivals Passage as they became the second team to book their place into the last eight, making it their 53rd win in a row while also claiming the Division One county league title in the process, as they triumphed 2-28 to 0-10.

Patrick Fitzgerald has now scored 2-7 from play in this year's championship after adding 1-5. At the same time, former inter-county star Pauric Mahony scored 0-12 points, while Kevin Mahony, who usually plays full-forward, was in the new wing role back in the SETU WIT Arena.

2020 county finalists Passage will be disappointed with the performance despite missing Mark Fitzgerald, who is still in America. However, scoring four points from play in 60 minutes is never a good look. They will now face Abbeyside next weekend.

An inspiring performance by Gavin O'Brien should catch the attention of watching Waterford manager Davy Fitzgerald and selector Eoin Kelly as his nine second-half points made Roanmore the third team to qualify for the quarterfinals in Carrickbeg.

The 2021 county finalists were very lacklustre in the opening half, as they looked very leggy from last weekend’s victory over Lismore, with puck-outs going astray, passes going out over the sideline and poor ball handling skills.

Clonea, who dominated the first 30 minutes, didn’t get going in the second half but nearly switched the momentum of the game in the 45th minute thanks to James Power kicking the ball out to the loose Jason Gleeson, whose 21-yard shot riffled into the top left corner of the net, restoring his side's lead.

However, that was as good as it got for Tony Shelly’s side as Roanmore took control of the closing stages courtesy of the bloodied O’Brien, who received a nasty cut to the ear.

Stephen Gough’s side now have three weeks to recover and work on some of the first-half loose play, while Clonea faces Lismore next weekend to determine where they finish ahead of the preliminary quarter-final.  This should be a close encounter, as Lismore only prevailed by the smallest of margins when they played each other last season.

Last year’s county finalists, Mount Sion, survived a first-half scare without the suspended Austin Gleeson to overcome Tallow 3-18 to 1-13.

In a game that failed to flow throughout, three late scores by Tallow, the last one being a booming free by Ryan Gray in his own 45, saw his side head into the break leading 0-10 to 0-9.

However, second-half goals from Alan Kirwan, Lee Flanagan and Martin F O’Neill brought smiles to the faces of Kevin Ryan, Liam Dunne and Paraic Fanning as they got their first campaign win.

The west Waterford side responded with a late Daragh Buckley goal from a 21-yard free, but referee Anthony Fitzgerald sent off the corner forward in the game's last act on a second yellow.