Ballygunner make short work of Éire Óg challenge to make history
Ballygunner’s Eoin Cuddehy and Michael Mahony celebrate. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie
In recent finals, Ballygunner have gone through Clare teams like propellers and this was no different as they had this record-breaking sixth Munster senior success all but wrapped up by half-time.
As the sheets of rain drenched the excellent Thurles sod at half-time and Éire Óg trailed by eight points, only a monsoon and a postponement was going to save them.
But for Danny Russell’s additional-time penalty goal, the scoreline would have read almost the same as the Clonlara result two years ago. The margin was the same as their victory over Ballyea in 2022 but it sure felt a more comprehensive win this time around.
Dessie Hutchinson was excellent particularly in the first half when he scored five points but then he added another couple just when Éire Óg were stringing together some scores.
Any momentum Gerry O’Connor’s men had hoped to generate was lost with four Ballygunner points. Shane O’Donnell fought valiantly but it was a day when all their major men were required and David Reidy was unusually quiet.
If Hutchinson was earning most of the plaudits, Philip Mahony did a tremendous job controlling the middle of the Ballygunner defence and sending effective ball down the field.
“We had a dedicated man-marker (for him), but he's able to drift off and get into pockets of space,” said O’Connor. “He's particularly good at drifting out of the ruck. But they won a huge amount of ruck ball as well today. There was a huge amount of rucks in that game, and they appeared to win about 75%-80% of them.”
Jason Ryan spoke of how Ballygunner had given Éire Óg as much respect as familiar rivals as Na Piarsaigh and Sarsfields. They had been roaring favourites and in the past there would have been concern in the club that such fancy would have permeated into the camp but not here.
"I suppose it's how we set up and how training goes and what kind of conversations you have maybe sets the scene for how you underestimate. So, if you change your routines… we can't underestimate the talent of Shane O'Donnell and David Reidy. Aaron Fitzgerald had an amazing year, so I'm well aware of the dangers of so many of their players. We were very diligent in the last two weeks to make sure we were the best we could be for today.”
Previously, taking off Pauric Mahony with the opponents having scored the previous three points just over 10 minutes into the second half would have been unheard of. The ankle injury he picked prior to the Na Piarsaigh game was not the reason, Ryan said, just the quality they were able to unload from the bench.
“It's really important that we bring energy into games as well, and we've really talented guys that came into the game, and it's just getting those changes at the right time.
“It's important to finish the game strong, and we thought with some of the players that we brought in that they would bring extra energy to the game. Mark Hartley, Eoin Cuddihy, Conor Power, Eoin O'Brien, they're really, really dynamic guys, and we wanted to get them on the field.” O’Donnell won a penalty on the cusp of additional time, which Danny Russell finished to the net but it was only about respectability at that stage for Éire Óg.
At the outset, they had bustled and led 0-3 to 0-2 after eight minutes but it betrayed their performance for the remainder of the half. Their puck-out malfunctioned and Ballygunner were beginning to put their passing triangles together.
By the break, Darren Moroney’s drop shot point was their only score from play whereas Ballygunner had 10 to their name, Hutchinson contributing five of them.
His first point in the fifth minute was an exceptional score but the majority of his efforts were ones born of anticipation and finding pockets of space to receive passes.
Between Russell’s eighth minute free and his next in the 21st, Ballygunner hit them for six without reply. The latter two were sent over by Patrick Fitzgerald, the second of them an audacious effort from a tight angle under the Ryan Stand.
With Reidy struggling to get into the game and O’Donnell’s frustrations boiling over with a 29th minute yellow card, more of the same followed in the closing stages of the half.
Peter Hogan and Conor Shehan opened their accounts after Pauric Mahony’s third free and Hutchinson finished off a delightful point after a beautiful touch pass by Fitzgerald.
As the conditions deteriorated, they took some time to consider them but the second half was a borderline formality and Ryan, in his first year in charge, was soon celebrating his second piece of silverware.
“This group aren't tricky to manage,” he remarked. “It's as simple as that. They're just incredibly motivated. It's player-driven. The culture is fantastic.
“The work by David Franks and Darragh O'Sullivan was just absolutely tremendous. And the work by the underage coaches in the club. The culture in the place is just fabulous. They strive for success, and the players, they keep driving that.”
A day after they were the chatter of a boardroom in Croke Park as to whether they should have two senior teams in the Waterford championship, Ballygunner were again doing their talking on the field. Some might say it was shouting.
: D. Hutchinson (0-7); P. Mahony (0-5, 4 frees); P. Fitzgerald (0-4, 1 free); P. Hogan (0-3); C. Sheahan, M. Mahony (0-1 each).
Scorers for Éire Óg, Inis: D. Russell (1-6, 1-0 pen, 0-6 frees); D. Moroney, S. O’Donnell, O. Cahill (0-1 each).
: S. O’Keeffe; T. Foley, I. Kenny, A. O’Neill; H. Ruddle, Philip Mahony, R. Power; C. Sheahan. P. Leavey; P. Hogan (j-c), Pauric Mahony, M. Mahony (j-c); D. Hutchinson, P. Fitzgerald, K. Mahony.
Subs for Ballygunner: M. Hartley for Pauric Mahony (47); C. Power for P. Hogan (54); E. Cuddihy for P. Fitzgerald (58); E. O’Brien for T. Foley (59); L. Cleary for H. Ruddle (60+5).
: D. Stack; F. Treacy, C. Russell, L. Corry; J. Collins, A. Fitzgerald, R. Loftus; O. Cahill, D Moroney; D. McNamara, D. Reidy (c), T. Kavanagh; D. Russell, S. O’Donnell, M. Cleary.
Subs for Éire Óg, Inis: R. Mulcahy for L. Corry (37); J. O’Dwyer for D. McNamara, D. O’Brien for T. Kavanagh (both 47); E. O’Regan for D. Reidy (56).
: A. Tierney (Tipperary).
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
