Fourmilewater dare to dream of toppling Ballygunner in first Waterford final

Fourmilewater face the ultimate test when they face 13-in-a-row chasing Ballygunner in the club's first ever Waterford SHC final

Michael Ryan: “When you think about it, Jamie (Barron) has the same number of All-Stars (three) as Ballygunner as a club. That’s the measure of the man he is." Pic: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

It’s Buster Douglas v Mike Tyson in Dungarvan on Sunday. Greece v Portugal, Euro 2004. New York Giants v New England Patriots Superbowl XLII. Or at least Fourmilewater hope that’s how it turns out.

In their first ever final, they encounter 1/10 shots Ballygunner aiming for a 13th consecutive senior county title. Fourmilewater’s unbeaten run of seven games is a tidy return, but it pales in comparison to Ballygunner’s winning SHC stretch of 73.

The ‘Gunners’ dominance shows little sign of letting up. Their score difference in their five group games this summer was 76 points, an average just tipping over 15 points. Last year it was a jaw-dropping 98. The last time a team finished within a score of them was Mount Sion in a semi-final five years ago (two points).

Eleven years ago, Fourmilewater were just one point shy of them in one of their four semi-final appearances. It was the same year Ballygunner last lost a championship game.

Fourmilewater stalwart and former Waterford manager Michael Ryan has attended enough finals to know what not to do against Ballygunner, but he doesn’t sense fear will be a factor for Dick O’Keeffe’s young side.

“Everybody knows the size of the challenge, but also everybody sees it as a great opportunity. Getting to the final, it was more hope than anything else for a long time. But you could see something happening with the last four or five years.

“It's important for us to enjoy the game because if you can find a way to enjoy the game, it will release the tension inside you and the performance will probably benefit as a result.

“There's a certain amount of excitement. We've played a lot of football county finals over the years. A lot of the fellas have done well at under-age level. So, it's no big surprise that they're in a final. And I don't think they'll be overawed by it.

“A lot of youngsters have come through. Ger Walsh has done great work with underage players and they were starting to perform in the ‘A’ grades. The age profile of the team is very good. There were seven U21s who started the game (v Roanmore) the last day.” 

Pat Walsh and Evan Spelman featured on the Waterford U20 team both this and last year. Michael Morrissey was on the panel last season. Aaron Ryan has been in dazzling form, while their favourite son Jamie Barron and fellow senior inter-county man Seán Walsh have come to the fore in recent outings.

“When you think about it, Jamie has the same number of All-Stars (three) as Ballygunner as a club,” Ryan highlights. “That’s the measure of the man he is. We can’t depend on him to do everything for us on Sunday. He will lead as he has always done but everyone has to step up to the challenge.” 

The one-week turnaround might suit Fourmilewater’s tyros but there are pros and cons to the short build-up, says Ryan. “We’ve had seven days, they’ve had eight and they had an easier game than we had.

“We know we're playing the All-Ireland champions. People say they haven't got a game in Waterford; they haven't got a game in Munster in years. It's a much bigger scenario than Waterford.

“We’ve got to have a certain amount of respect for them, but we've also got to believe in ourselves. I use the word challenge. The word challenge leads to opportunity. You put both together, and you go at it with hammer and tongs, and you see what it takes you. And no matter what, forget about the scoreboard. There's something I do like about this team. I like that the management have done very well. They're very well organised.” 

It’s the first Waterford SHC final in August since 2020 when the county decided to run off the hurling championships first in case the pandemic brought an end to activities.

Among the main dual counties, Waterford are now on their own in that regard. Wexford now blend their football and hurling competitions. For the Ballymacarbry unit, whose attentions will shortly turn to the fortunes of The Nire in the coming weeks as they chase a sixth senior title in 13 seasons, the schedule suits. As it has most certainly done Ballygunner.

“If you give them time and space early on, you'll be seven or eight points behind before you know it and you'll be chasing the game,” warns Ryan. “I think we've got to go literally man-to-man over the pitch and trust ourselves.

“There are question marks about one or two of their players, but you saw what happened (v De La Salle) last week. Conor Tobin scores 1-5. Whoever wears the Ballygunner jersey on Sunday will be a top-class player. We're not expecting any sympathy votes.” 

On this eve of the final, GAA president Jarlath Burns will be in the club to acknowledge their centenary celebrations. Ryan is currently updating a chronicle of the club’s history, which he first wrote 38 years ago.

The prospect of adding another chapter is tantalising. “We’re capable but it’s going to be a tough 60-plus minutes. I’ve no doubt we’ll know how to celebrate if it does happen.”