A compelling county championship match awaits this evening in Azzuri Walsh Park as Group A leaders and perenial champions Ballygunner A take on Clonea in a JJ Kavanagh & Sons, Waterford Senior hurling Championship Round 5 encounter.

Ballygunner have four wins from four and are looking secure at the top of the table on 8 points. The men from the deer’s meadow will have it all to do it seems to upset a Ballygunner A side who have looked imperious so far and a class apart in the games played to date.

With the championship format doing away with preliminary quarter finals this year securing a top spot and direct qualification into the semi-finals will be the only thing on Ballygunners mind.

For Clonea this evening represents a formidable test and Clonea will know that they must match Ballygunner’s hunger and intensity from the first whistle to avoid becoming the latest victims of a formidable Ballygunner forward unit.

Ballygunners ability to transition from defense to attack in the blink of an eye is second to none and Clonea’s half back line will have to work to disrupt the supply of ball into a ruthless forward line.

Although Ballygunner are heavy favourites, Clonea have shown already that championship hurling always carries the potential for an upset and will travel with no weight of expecation and will hope they can throw off the shackles and give a performance that gives them some momentum as we head to the business end of the championship.