Watch and read: Mount Sion see off Abbeyside to claim Waterford junior honours

Waterford Junior A HC final: Mount Sion 2-21 (27) Abbeyside Ballinacourty 1-18 (21)

Mount Sion are Waterford Junior A Hurling champions as they saw off a spirited Abbeyside by six points - 1-3 from Lee Flanagan proving crucial as the Monastery men picked up county junior honours for the first time since 2009.

A spree of six unanswered points either side of the interval was decisive, before Scott Ryan’s 42nd-minute goal effectively ended the contest as they deservedly lifted the Tommy Drummey Cup.

Sion led 1-9 to 0-11 at the break, but Abbeyside had the momentum at the interval - having been seven points down with 16 minutes on the clock.

Lee Flanagan opened the scoring for the Monastery men after 45 seconds, and the same man fired the game’s opening goal on 4 minutes. Louie Halligan teed up Jack Teat and his effort was well saved by Stephen Enright but Flanagan was on hand to lash home the rebound and make it 1-1 to no score.

Oisin Power opened Abbeyside’s account on six minutes but a stunner from Alex Walsh kept the gap at four. Conor Kent and Charlie Feeney opened their accounts, but a free from captain Evan McGrath and a Louie Halligan strike kept Mount Sion in the ascendancy.

Two dead balls from McGrath and another effort from Flanagan pushed the gap out to seven, but the Western champions responded valiantly with four-in-a-row, Joe Flynn raised three white flags from two frees and from play, and Aaron Walsh got in on the act as they began to steady the ship. A McGrath free settled Mount Sion but Abbeyside again roared back with four in succession - Cathal Sweeney, Flynn and two from the impressive Aaron Walsh brought it level at 1-8 to 0-11, before McGrath’s fifth point tipped Sion back in front.

The Eastern champions hit five unanswered scores upon the resumption - two from McGrath, a pearler from Jack Teat, another from Alex Walsh and a Richie Roche strike had it at 1-14 to 0-11 - but again Abbeyside refused to lie down, as Diarmuid Mackle played in Cathal Sweeney and he found the bottom left corner on 37 minutes to make it a three-point affair.

Man of the Match Teat, McGrath and Flanagan provided timely responses either side of a Charlie Feeney strike, and the game got away from Abbeyside on 42 minutes as Scott Ryan’s dipping strike deceived the unsighted Enright and made it 2-17 to 1-12.

Abbeyside chipped away to their credit but Mount Sion ran out deserved winners at the finish, two from substitute Evan Flanagan and a third from Teat capping off a fine performance as they ran out deserved six-point victors.

Scorers for Abbeyside Ballinacourty: Joe Flynn (0-7; 0-6f); Cathal Sweeney (1-1); Aaron Walsh (0-4); Charlie Feeney (0-2); Oisin Power, Conor Kent, Sean Prunty and Oisin O’Riordan (0-1 each).

Scorers for Mount Sion: Evan McGrath (0-9; 0-6f; 0-1 ‘65); Lee Flanagan (1-3); Scott Ryan (1-0); Jack Teat (0-3); Alex Walsh and Evan Flanagan (0-2 each); Louie Halligan and Richie Roche (0-1 each).

Abbeyside Ballinacourty: Stephen Enright; Oisin O’Riordan, Shane Aherne, Niall McCarthy; Oisin Power, Daithi Brunnock, Jack McGrath; Charlie Feeney, Conor Kent; James Beresford, Diarmuid Mackle, Sean Prunty; Cathal Sweeney, Joe Flynn, Aaron Walsh.

Subs: Daniel Morrissey for Oisin Power (38); Eoin Ahern for Cathal Sweeney (48).

Mount Sion: Josh Fanning; Jack Byrne, Peter Penkert, Ciaran Flynn; Alex Walsh, Evan Curran, Ross Thornton; Tommy McGrath, Charlie Costello; Louie Halligan, Evan McGrath, Jack Teat; Scott Ryan, Richie Roche, Lee Flanagan.

Subs: Dylan Ryan for Peter Penkert (39); Evan Flanagan for Richie Roche (45). 

Referee: Martin Freeman (Ferrybank)

Footage courtesy of Clubber TV.