'They’ll murder you if you make mistakes': ruthless Ballygunner avenge Munster final hurt
Two quickfire Ballygunner goals early in the second half killed off Sarsfield's comeback in the Munster SHC semi-final. Pic:Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
A vengeful victory for Ballygunner as they let Sarsfields know exactly how much they hurt them in last year’s Munster final.
At one stage in the first half and 14 points between the teams, this threatened to be a merciless mission for the home side. Credit to Sarsfields, they struck back like champions and came within five points but as it transpired they were only poking the bear.
This was a feisty encounter watched by 2,451 people in Azzurri Walsh Park, one that produced 10 yellow cards and six goals that was probably slightly on the low side for the amount of openings both teams created.
Sarsfields will rue indiscipline but also the errors that paved the way for most of The ‘Gunners’s goals – two were misjudgements, one was a dispossession and another, the first, was a case of bad fortune.
A Daniel Hogan goal either side of half-time did wonders for the visitors in saving face and almost making a game of it but the second of those scores only propelled Ballygunner to do better. Patrick Fitzgerald capitalised on a second Cillian Roche error to raise a green flag in the 34th minute and five minutes later Kevin Mahony bulged the net after another turnover.
Trailing by double-digits once more, a second reprisal was beyond Sarsfields. Pauric Mahony kept Ballygunner ticking over to bring his personal tally to 10 points from placed balls and the difference was 12 by the 51st minute.
Two Dessie Hutchinson goals inside the first 12 minutes and a slew of frees by Pauric Mahony threatened to end this game in the first half. Sarsfields were reeling without yet breaking a sweat.
“We targeted a good, quick start to impose ourselves in the game and it just didn't go our way,” said Sarsfields manager Johnny Crowley. “And then we found ourselves facing a mountain to climb. But even at that, we got 1-2, 1-3 there just before half-time. It brought us back into the game. We spoke in the dressing room, we said we'd go at it, we got a quick goal. We were right back in the game and just coughed up two goals really.”
Fourteen points separated the sides when a Colm McCarthy free was followed by a wonderful bit of artistry by Hogan for a goal in the 29th minute. Sensing an opening, Hogan tapped the sliotar ahead of him and over his opponent, retrieved it before bouncing and then tapped it again before sliding it past Stephen O’Keeffe.
He backed it up with a free when Barry O’Flynn was fouled close to goal by O’Keeffe, who earned a yellow card for the infringement, and James Sweeney caught a great ball and converted a great score to give the scoreline at least some respectability, 1-6 to 2-11, as they turned to take advantage of the breeze.
But up to that purple patch Ballygunner were almost out of sight. In the first minute, Patrick Fitzgerald started the siege on Ben Graham’s goal but Roche kept it out.
The scoreline read 0-4 to 0-1 in the home side’s favours when Hutchinson landed his opening goal. It was a typical poacher’s goal by the Waterford captain: Kevin Mahony’s point attempt fell short and under pressure from Fitzgerald Graham batted out the ball but only into the hand of Hutchinson who returned it with interest.
The margin grew to 10 points in the 12th minute when Hutchinson again anticipated. Roche misjudged a sideline and the ball slipped behind him for Hutchinson to score the easiest of goals.
“I suppose it's something we were very conscious of that in the first five or seven minutes of the Munster final last year,” said Ryan. “Sarsfields got a really good start against Ballygunner so it was something we were chasing after.
“We know we have a lot of scoring threat in our forwards. If they went man-for-man, which they did for the start of the game, we thought we'd maybe get a few one-on-ones or two-on-twos. As it turned out, that's what happened."
Up to the conclusion of the half, Ballygunner’s puck-out retention was 100% and they were picking off scores from them like Michael Mahony’s in the sixth minute and Hutchinson’s in the 14th.
After missing the Na Piarsaigh game through injury, Pauric Mahony’s frees were executed with his usual efficiency and he had six to his name by the break excluding a 65.
When Hogan was in the right place to score a second goal in the opening minute of the second half, the comeback looked on. Ryan knew Sarsfields were too good to fold.
“We knew that they were going to come back at some stage but it's very hard to get that message out in the middle of the game.
“I suppose it's something we prepared for over the last two weeks and it's something that the guys as a group, they've been through so much together. There's also a lot of young lads coming into the group and they haven't had an awful lot of experience outside of Waterford competitions. So for them, it's new to have that kind of sense of the level of difficulty or maybe when your backs are to the wall a little bit.”
After Fitzgerald and Kevin Mahony pounced for goals, the result wasn’t in doubt with over 20 minutes remaining.
“Look, it's a very hard venue to come to,” admitted Crowley. “They're a fabulous side. You get found out if you make mistakes. You get away with them in some games but the likes of Ballygunner, they'll murder you if you make mistakes. Unfortunately today, we made them.”
Pauric Mahony (0-10, 9 frees, 1 65); D. Hutchinson (2-1); P. Fitzgerald (1-2, 0-1 free); K. Mahony (1-1); M. Mahony (0-2); M. Hartley, P. Hogan (0-1 each).
D. Hogan (2-3, 0-2 frees); C. McCarthy (0-5, 3 frees); J. Sweeney (0-4); B. O’Flynn (0-2); B. Graham (free), L. Elliott, C. O’Sullivan (0-1 each).
S. O’Keeffe; A. O’Neill, I. Kenny, T. Foley; H. Ruddle, Philip Mahony, R. Power; C. Sheahan; M. Mahony (j-c), P. Hogan (j-c), Pauric Mahony; K. Mahony, D. Hutchinson, P. Fitzgerald.
M. Hartley for Pauric Mahony (49); C. Tobin for C. Sheahan (54); E. O’Brien for R. Power, E. Cuddihy for P. Fitzgerald (both 60+1); C. Power for K. Mahony (60+4).
B. Graham; C. O’Sullivan (c), C. Roche, D. English; C. Leahy, L. Elliott, B. Murphy; D. Hogan, K. Murphy; J. O’Connor, D. Kearney, C. Darcy; J. Sweeney, C. McCarthy, B. O’Flynn.
E. Murphy for C. Roche (37); B. Nodwell for B. Murphy (42); S. O’Regan for D. Kearney (45); L. Hackett for K. Murphy (58).
A. Tierney (Tipperary).
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