Ballygunner 1-22, Abbeyside 1-16
Ballygunner are 40 games unbeaten in the senior ranks of Waterford Hurling.
A close, tense and physical affair in Walsh Park saw the defending champions pushed for the full 60 minutes, but quality shone through to secure their spot at the top of Group B.
Pauric Mahony got his first game time since he injured his cruciate in a championship pre-season challenge match against Wexford.
Elsewhere, Philip Mahony was unlucky to have to leave the field in the first quarter after suffering an injury; he had been a late introduction to the team in place of Ronan Power who was set to start.
The score before half time saw the Gunners lead 13 points to 6, until Neil Montgomery burst the back of the net to make it a two point affair.
When play resumed, Ballygunner opened the half well, finding the space and scores through Pauric Mahony, Harry Ruddle and Mikey Mahony.
A hefty clash between Daragh McGrath and Pauric Mahony looked to be serious , with both players lying prone on the turf, but thankfully both were fit to resume.
Deise star Dessie Hutchinson was held to a single point, but that may be more understandable when it was his Waterford captain Conor Prunty who marshalled him around the field.
Abbeyside hadn’t bowed out of the game with the scores level after 38 minutes, but a goal from Harry Ruddle in the 47th minute provided the impetus that the Gunners needed to put some day light between themselves and the challengers.
With Ballygunner stretching their legs as the game came to a close, it was too much to claw back for Abbeyside, with the 2020 Champions notching one more win in their impressive forty game unbeaten run.
