Brilliant Ballygunner cruise into seventh successive Munster final

Ballygunner 1-26 (29)

Loughmore-Castleiney 1-16 (19)

The Big Match coverage comes with thanks to George Corbett Skoda.

Ballygunner cruised into the Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship Final for the seventh year running - as they swatted aside Tipperary champions Loughmore-Castleiney at Walsh Park.

1-6 without reply just before half-time proved crucial for Darragh Sullivan's men, who will now face Sarsfields of Cork or Feakle of Clare for the opportunity to make it an unprecedented four Munster titles in a row on December 1st.

Peter Hogan, Pauric Mahony and Kevin Mahony were the stars of the show - as the second half ultimately proved a comfortable affair for the five-time provincial champions.

Ballygunner came into the game looking for an eleventh successive victory in Munster - while for their opponents, it proved a first foray at provincial level since defeat by the same opponents in the 2021 Munster semi-final.

Pauric Mahony opened the scoring after just seconds from well out the field as he started the game exactly as he meant to go on - and suddenly he had two within 90 seconds when Willie Eviston was penalised for overcarrying.

Tadhg Foley was then penalised for fouling John McGrath, and he pulled himself off the ground to point over the opener for the Tipperary champions - though they were two behind again seconds later when a radar-like puckout from Stephen O'Keeffe found Kevin Mahony who made no mistake in splitting the posts.

John McGrath's second free and a well-worked score from Ciaran Connolly made it 0-3 apiece, but that would in truth be as good as it got for Loughmore-Castleiney with just five minutes on the clock.

The excellent Peter Hogan was found in space by Dessie Hutchinson to fire over, before Hutchinson again turned supplier to allow Parucic Mahony to push the Gunners 0-5 to 0-3 ahead. Hogan was again on hand to raise the white flag near the 65-metre mark - before the first goal opportunity narrowly eclipsed the reigning Munster champions on ten minutes when Hutchinson dispossessed goalkeeper Aidan McGrath and struck the base of the post.

Loughmore tried to get some momentum going and Ed Meagher converted a well-worked score, before Kevin Mahony found brother Pauric to make no mistake off the right flank.

John McGrath repeated the trick from the left flank, before goalkeeper Stephen O'Keeffe chose to stride outfield and unleash a rasping effort carried by the wind to move the Gunners 0-8 to 0-5 to the good approaching the end of the final quarter.

John Ryan and Conor Sheahan soon traded scores, before Hogan and Ed Meagher both entered the referee's notebook for some off-the-ball arguing that really got the 2,000 strong going.

Back-to-back frees came from John McGrath to reduce arrears to the minimum - but then Ballygunner did what only Ballygunner can do - hitting 1-6 without reply to move ten points in front in the blink of an eye.

Stephen O'Keeffe picked out Pauric Mahony for his fifth point from play, before Hutchinson got his first when jinking inside Willie Eviston and a Mahony free soon had the scoreline reading 0-13 to 0-8.

Four added minutes were called and Ballygunner made the very most of them - Mikey Mahony became the fifth Gunners forward to find the radar, before Sheahan picked out Hogan for his third - another excellent effort, but then came the opening goal on 33 minutes.

Patrick Fitzgerald, Dessie Hutchinson and Kevin Mahony combined - the latter firing to the net to make it 1-15 to 0-8. Goodnight Irene, Goodnight Loughmore?

So the case proved as the second-half commenced with Fitzgerald becoming the sixth Gunners forward to split the posts, before Dessie Hutchinson added his second score when found in acres by Pauric Mahony. John McGrath continued to dent the scoreboard from frees but in truth Loughmore struggled to lay a glove on the Gunners - the performances of Tadhg Foley and Ronan Power proving particularly standout at the back.

Hogan knocked over his fourth from the 45-metre mark as the gap was extended to twelve, before a superb 60-metre free from Mahony made it thirteen.

Stephen O'Keeffe and Philip Mahony then stood firm together to deny Liam McGrath a goal, before a John McGrath effort was flicked over the bar by the Gunners netminder.

John Maher made his mark from the bench, but his effort was just the fifth point from play in 44 minutes for Eamonn Kelly's men.

Kevin Mahony capitalised on a loose ball to move his personal tally to 1-2, and it was soon 1-3 as he combined with brothers Mikey and Pauric for a move made in the Mahony household.

Everything was going wrong for Loughmore-Castleiney as McGrath sent a free wide - further points for Dessie Hutchinson and Cormac Power added to their woes.

McGrath saw another effort turned behind by O'Keeffe, but he and his namesake Noel continued to plug away despite the notable deficit.

Dessie Hutchinson was to be denied the Gunners' second green flag on 55 minutes - his seffort went through the legs of Aidan McGrath but stopped on the goal-line.

Pauric Mahony's ninth free continued proceedings as the clock began to wind down - but there was still time for a consolation goal, John Maher flicking Noel McGrath's free to the net on 58 minutes to reduce arrears to nine.

A late 65 from Hutchinson and Cormac Power's second either side of a Liam Treacy effort saw it finish Ballygunner 1-26 Loughmore Castleiney 1-16.

Can the Gunners go past Blackrock and become the most successful side ever in Munster? We only have two weeks left to find out.

Ballygunner: Stephen O'Keeffe; Ian Kenny, Barry Coughlan, Tadhg Foley; Harry Ruddle, Philip Mahony, Ronan Power; Conor Sheahan, Paddy Leavy; Dessie Hutchinson, Pauric Mahony, Peter Hogan; Patrick Fitzgerald, Kevin Mahony, Mikey Mahony.

Subs: Cormac Power for Patrick Fitzgerald (48); Shane O'Sullivan for Peter Hogan (53); Conor Tobin for Mikey Mahony (56); Aaron O'Neill for Pauric Mahony (59); Jake Foley for Tadhg Foley (59)

Scorers: Pauric Mahony (0-9; 0-4f); Kevin Mahony (1-3); Dessie Hutchinson (0-4; 0-1f; 0-1 '65); Peter Hogan (0-4); Cormac Power (0-2); Stephen O'Keeffe, Conor Sheahan, Patrick Fitzgerald, Mikey Mahony (0-1 each)

Loughmore-Castleiney: Aidan McGrath; Lorcan Egan, Willie Eviston, Eoghan O'Connell; John Ryan, Brian McGrath, Ed Meagher; Noel McGrath, Ciaran Connolly; Tommy Maher, Tomas McGrath, Ed Connolly; John McGrath, Ciaran McGrath, Liam McGrath.

Subs: Ciaran McCormack for Tommy Maher (HT); John Maher for Tomas McGrath (HT); Paul McGahey for Ed Connolly (44); Liam Treacy for Ciaran McGrath (47); Darragh McCahey for John Ryan (53)

Scorers: John McGrath (0-9, 0-8f) ; John Maher (1-1); Ciaran Connolly (0-2); Noel McGrath (0-1; 0-1f); John Ryan, Liam Treacy, Ed Meagher (0-1 each)

Referee: Ciaran O'Regan (Cork)

The Big Match coverage comes with thanks to George Corbett Skoda.