Ballygunner 0-21
Mount Sion 1-16
Ballygunner survived a hell of a scare at the hands of arch-rivals Mount Sion to scrape through to a ninth successive senior hurling championship final.
There was only a point between the teams in injury time when Mount Sion forward Alan Kirwan turned down the chance to level and instead decided to go for goal. The ball flashed across the face of goal and whistled aganisingly wide.
Waterford stars Dessie Hutchinson and Peter Hogan pitched in with four points apiece from play, while Pauric Mahony notched eight scores from the dead ball.
Stephen O’Keeffe's outstanding first half save from Jamie Gleeson proved pivotal in the grand scheme of things.
Martin O'Neill struck 0-9, two of which came from play, while former Hurler of the Year Austin Gleeson buried a first-half penalty and finished the evening with 1-4 (1-2 from placed balls).
Two points from Mikey Mahony and one each for brothers Kevin and Pauric as well as Dessie Hutchinson left the champions 5-2 up after 13 minutes.
Stephen Roche was brought down in the area not long afterward, and Gleeson made no mistake in burying it down the middle for the game's only goal. O’Neill added two frees as the Monastery men led 1-4 to 0-6 at the first water break.
On the restart, Mount Sion threw the kitchen sink at the champions and they led by 1-7 to 0-8 buoyed by a stunning inspirational score from Stephen Roche.
The Gunners finished the half strongly. Dessie Hutchinson hit his second point from play before Mahony’s fifth free levelled affairs. Shane O’Sullivan thundered over a score from his own '65 as Darragh O'Sullivan's side rattled in four without response.
At the start of the second period, Peter Hogan cut through the heart of the Sion defence and slipped over his third of the day, while Hutchinson also got his third following fine fielding.
Austin Gleeson had three costly wides in a row before he pointed a free, and was punished when Harry Ruddle opened a four-point gap.
Martin O’Neill brought Mount Sion within a score at the start of the final quarter, before tensions were high as Austin Gleeson left one in it.
Sion squandered three point opportunities before Alan Kirwan's late goal chance. Hutchinson and Hogan knocked over insurance points, as Ballygunner held on by the skin of their teeth for an 11th appearance in the last twelve finals - and a 20th final since 2000.
S O’Keeffe; I Kenny, B Coughlan, R Power; B O’Keeffe, T Foley, S O’Sullivan (0-1); C Sheahan, P Leavey; M Mahony (0-2). P Mahony (0-8, 8f). P Hogan (0-4); D Hutchinson (0-4), K Mahony, H Ruddle (0-2).
B O’Sullivan for Sheahan (52), C Power for Ruddle (57).
I O’Regan: M Daykin, L O’Brien, PJ Fanning; Martin F O’Neill (0-1). S O’Neill. P Penkert; S Roche (0-1). O Whelan; A Gleeson (1-4, 1-0 pen, 2f), A Kirwan, M Gaffney; J Gleeson; Martin O’Neill (0-9, 7f), J Kennedy
D Butler (0-1) for Whelan (37), D Power for Kennedy (48), E McGrath for Gaffney (52).
T Walsh
