Rathgormack make another Waterford decider with semi-final rout

It was one-way traffic from the second quarter onwards for the defending champions who now face Abbeyside/Ballinacourty in the final

Rathgormack's management team of Frannie Halpin, Joe Murray, Richard Power, Kenny Hassett and Michael Crotty. Pic: Sean Byrne

Defending champions Rathgormack will face Abbeyside/Ballinacourty in next weekend's Waterford SFC final. It will be their third showdown in the past six years.

Rathgormack routed Comeragh rivals The Nire 1-19 to 2-5 in Sunday's curtain raiser at Fraher Field. These teams contested the last three county finals but it was one-way traffic from the second quarter onwards.

Jason Curry kicked nine points while Stephen Curry (1-2), Jason Gleeson (0-4), James Power (0-2) and Conor Murray (0-2) also starred up front. High fielder Peter Walsh lorded the midfield exchanges, backed up by his brother Tom.

Two scoring bursts turned this into a facile victory. Seven unanswered points in 15 first-half minutes made it 0-11 to 0-4 by the break. James McGrath also made a goalline clearance from Michael Curry. Another purple patch of 1-7 followed in the second period: Stephen Curry palmed to the net on 42 minutes after Stephen Ryan saved from Adam Murray.

The green and red led by 17 points before late Nire goals from Ciaran Looney and Jamie Barron made the scoreboard look less ugly. Barron took the fight to Rathgormack throughout. The All-Star hurler shot 1-3 from play.

Billy Power returned from Dubai on Friday and pulled on the number 26 shirt for Rathgormack. "He's a super player, be it hurling or football," manager Kenny Hassett remarked. "Whether we'll have him next week or not, I don't know. Billy loves it. When I speak to him on the phone, he knows more about the championship than I do!"

A second-half goal from Déise senior Sean Whelan Barrett and six points from 38-year-old Patrick Hurney saw Ballinacourty overcome Gaultier by 1-9 to 0-11 in a scrappy second semi-final.

Gaultier talisman JJ Hutchinson struck seven points, three from play, but couldn't guide his team to a first county final since 1996. He blasted a 66th-minute free over the bar as the Eastern side searched for a match-winning goal. This was their fourth semi-final loss in five seasons. Two black cards proved costly.

Wind-assisted Gaultier led 0-5 to 0-1 after 19 minutes. JJ and Dessie Hutchinson slotted two points each while a goal-saving tackle by Tommy Martin led to another for Billy O'Keeffe. Martin saw a close range shot blocked by Aaron Beresford. A Niall McSweeney 45 gave them a 0-6 to 0-3 half-time advantage but the leaders lost Callum O'Neill to a black card in injury-time.

Sean Whelan Barrett bulged the bottom corner on 35 minutes after Dean Beresford tapped the ball down to him. Charlie Treen gave 'Courty the lead for the first time.

Gaultier went 21 minutes without a score. JJ Hutchinson showed his class with back-to-back points off left and right  to make it 0-8 to 1-4.

Willie Beresford levelled before Hurney shook off two earlier misses and slotted three frees in a row. Gaultier finished with 14 men as Darragh Lynch was black carded.

Entering five added minutes, two Hutchinson frees made it a one-point game. Hurney then fired wide with Gaultier goalkeeper David Whitty 50 yards off his line. Hurney made amends when he fisted over following a Michael Kiely solo run. Hutchinson won a last-gasp free but belted it over.