Nov 18,2024
Ballygunner 1-26 Loughmore-Castleiney 1-16
Ballyunner are into their seventh consecutive Munster senior club hurling final after a ten-point dismantling of Loughmore-Castleiney at Walsh Park.
There was nothing between the sides for the majority of the opening half until Ballygunner decided as they so often do to crank up the gears and blitz their opponents with 1-06 in six minutes. A single point between the sides on 27 minutes and just six minutes later the lead was ten.
The gap was ten at the final whistle as well with Ballygunner managing the game brilliantly with huge performances across the pitch especially from Pauric Mahony and Peter Hogan. They really are the masters at getting the ball to the man in the best position on the field and keeping the scoreboard ticking over the whole way through a game.
The game took off like a train with ferocious intensity from the off and brilliant hurling with the sides producing three points apiece in six minutes in perfect match conditions.
There was a small drop in the early intensity as the opening half progressed but still little to separate the sides. Pauric Mahony and his brother Kevin asked questions of the Loughmore defence all afternoon with Peter Hogan scoring four points from play too.
The trusty free-taking of John McGrath kept Loughmore in the game with seven first-half points but attempting to stay in the game was the best it would get for the Tipperary champions.
Midway through the first period goalkeeper Stephen O'Keefe drove an almighty score from distance over the bar to huge roars from the stands and the Waterford side never looked back from that point on.
Dessie Hutchinson, Pauric Mahony and Peter Hogan began to really lead for Ballygunner from there and the game was over as a contest by the time the short whistle sounded.
The goal just before the break for the hosts came courtesy of some brilliant link-up play between Pat McGrath and Hutchinson. McGrath received the sliotar in the corner before fizzing a pass square across the box for the patiently waiting Kevin Mahony to fire home
The second half was mere damage limitation for the Tipp outfit but to their credit they kept plucking away as the half wore on. Hutchinson and Mahony continued to play the game on their terms as they like to do with some fine points from play as the second half played out.
They emptied their bench and maintained their ten-point advantage. Crucially they also managed to get through with no injuries to report ahead of the final in a fortnight's time.
A consolation goal fell the way of John Meagher in the dying minutes as Ciaran McCormack’s 65 was helped past O’Keefe in the Ballygunner goal but it was too little too late.
The Déise men march on deservedly and will face Sarsfields of Cork or Feakle of Clare in the Munster final on 1 December.
Ballygunner: S O’Keefe (0-1); I Kenny, B Coughlin, T Foley; H Ruddle, P Mahony, R Power; C Sheahan (0-1), P Leavey; D Hutchinson (0-4, 1 65), P Mahony (0-9, 4f), P Hogan (0-4) ; P Fitzgerald (0-1), K Mahony (1-3), M Mahony (0-1)
Subs: C Power (0-2) for P Fitzgerald (49), S O’Sullivan for PHogan (53), C Tobin for M Mahony (57), A O’Neill for T Foley, J Foley for P Mahony (57)
Loughmore-Castleiney: A McGrath; L Egan, W Eviston, E O’Connell; J Ryan (0-1), B McGrath, E Meagher(0-1); N McGrath (0-1,1f), C Connolly (0-2); T Maher, T McGrath, E Connolly; J McGrath (0-9, 7f 1 65), C McGrath, L McGrath
Subs: C McCormack (1-0) for T Maher (H/T), J Meagher (0-1) for E O’Connell (H/T), P McCahey for E Connolly (45), L Treacy (0-1) for C McGrath (46), D McCahey for J Ryan (53)
Referee: Ciaran O’ Regan (Cork)
