Ballygunner 2-17
Roanmore 0-12
A strong second half showing from Ballygunner saw the All-Ireland champions through to the Waterford Senior Hurling Championship for the tenth season running.
1-2 apiece from Dessie Hutchinson and Patrick Fitzgerald breathes new life into their bid for nine News & Star Cups on the spin, as they saw off the Sky Blues by eleven points - though they didn’t have it all their own way.
Roanmore will have been the far happier of the sides with their first half performance, but it will have mattered little to them given they trailed on the scoreboard come the interval itself.
The Gunners opened the scoring with just 17 seconds on the clock, Peter Hogan picking out Conor Sheahan who found the radar from distance.
Roanmore showed that they were ready to bring the fight to the champions, and responded in turn with a superb score off the left from Lee Hearne after a fine industrious run by Chris Dempsey.
Ethan Flynn was lively in the opening exchanges and he gave the Sky Blues the lead on three minutes when turning inside Ian Kenny and splitting the posts.
Ballygunner aimed to find pockets of space from their puckouts, and when Kevin Mahony was dragged down by Charlie Chester, his brother Pauric soon opened his account.
Kevin Mahony was then on song to put Ballygunner back ahead with a lovely turn and score, but they soon had Stephen O’Keeffe to thank as he made a superb stop to deny Flynn the games opening goal as he got in behind the defence again.
Ronan Power got the first of a notable few first half bookings as Nicky Barry brought it back for advantage, and Gavin O’Brien tipped over the first of his five in the first half.
The same man also entered the notebook with just six minutes gone for a charge on Pauric Mahony with tensions palpable. O’Brien then gave last year’s finalists the lead with another well-taken dead ball after some good play from Billy Nolan and Conor Ryan had drawn the foul.
Dean Walsh was next to be booked for some afters, but Roanmore were getting in the Gunners’ faces and letting them know they wouldn’t be having it easy today - as another direct ball from the back saw Hearne win a free and O’Brien did the requisite once more.
Mikey Mahony was coming deep as Pauric missed three successive frees, but O’Brien had no such issues as he tapped his third point over to make it 6-3 to the challengers on the quarter hour mark.
If ever we needed a moment to remind us why Ballygunner are champions of Ireland, it came moments later. Having not turned up yet, the Gunners turned back to their brilliant best in the flick of a switch - Stephen O’Keeffe’s puckout landed straight in the lámh of Pauric Mahony, he offloaded it to Kevin, and he slipped in the previously anonymous Dessie Hutchinson to bury to the net with what was arguably his first touch all afternoon. A level game, and the Gunners back in business.
The sides traded blows once again, a superb free from O’Brien putting Roanmore in front again but they were responded to in turn by a brilliant roll and point from Sheahan, the fifth time the sides were on terms in a low scoring but highly entertaining opening period.
It could have been two goals in a matter of minutes for Hutchinson were it not for a fine stop by Jack Chester on 24 minutes, as Patrick Fitzgerald entered the field in place of the injured Ronan Power.
Hutchinson was found in space and clipped over the final point of the half - as despite all of Roanmore’s good work, it was the champions who held the advantage and we arguably hadn’t seen them anywhere near their brilliant best. Ballygunner 1-5 Roanmore 0-7.
Pauric Mahony’s second free of the day opening the scoring after the break, and they began to exert influence as Kevin Mahony won another off Charlie Chester with Pauric tapping over a third.
Temperatures continued to rise as it remained a real physical encounter and Shane O’Sullivan was soon penalised for a throw ball - and that allowed O’Brien to split the posts for the sixth time on the afternoon and reduce arrears to two.
Pauric Mahony had a notable influence after the break, and his striking was far surer as his 65 made it a one goal affair again, while it was 34 minutes and counting without a score from open play for Roanmore.
If you give half a yard to Dessie Hutchinson, he normally punishes and such was the case again on 39 minutes as he clipped over the black spot to bring his personally tally up to 1-2 and the champions suddenly had a four point cushion.
Dale Hayes and Chris Dempsey were both booked as frustrations continued, and Pauric Mahony remained ready and willing to punish any indiscipline to push the boat out to five.
They were suddenly six ahead on 43 minutes after a stunning score from Kevin Mahony, shipping a number of challenges before pointing on the short grip.
Gavin O’Brien flicked the sliotar down to Lee Hearne on 44 minutes as Peter Queally’s side finally got on the board from play again, with Emmet O’Toole then entering as they threw the dice.
It mattered little though as goal number two arrived on 45 minutes courtesy of young Patrick Fitzgerald, who left Dale Hayes for dead before bouncing the ball into the bottom corner. With the next ball, the young man made it 1-1 as he clipped over from close range. 2-12 to 0-9, and pretty much game over.
A Gavin O’Brien free sailed wide with few things going right for Roanmore. Kevin Mahony was excellent all day and won yet another foul on 48 minutes, allowing Pauric to knock over his sixth point and give the Gunners a ten point lead.
Mikey Mahony offloaded to Fitzgerald as he matched Hutchinson on 1-2 with another fine effort, as the Gunners began to find a wealth of space.
Substitute Sean Burke took on his man and won a free as Roanmore fought to restore pride, but it was a case of too little too late when O’Brien knocked over his seventh effort of the day.
Tim O’Sullivan got in the act for the Gunners as he caught O’Keeffe’s puckout and sent it between the posts but Roanmore did keep it ticking over with another dead ball from Gavin O’Brien.
Fitzgerald’s turn of pace was giving Roanmore nightmares and that again allowed Pauric Mahony to extend the lead to eleven. Billy Nolan brought arrears back to ten late on, but Mahony’s first from play and eighth of the day ended proceedings.
An assured second half showing that reminded everyone why Ballygunner are the best in the business. Roanmore will be proud of their efforts, but know better than anybody that their scoring tally will never be sufficient against such a calibre of opponent.
Mount Sion or De La Salle await, but Ballygunner will once again be centre stage come county final day and they'll go in 47 games unbeaten.
Ballygunner: Stephen O’Keeffe; Ian Kenny, Barry Coughlan, Tadhg Foley; Shane O’Sullivan, Philip Mahony, Ronan Power; Conor Sheahan, Paddy Leavy; Dessie Hutchinson, Mikey Mahony, Peter Hogan; Tim O’Sullivan, Kevin Mahony, Pauric Mahony
Subs: Patrick Fitzgerald for Ronan Power (26); Billy O’Keeffe for Tim O’Sullivan (53); Cormac Power for Dessie Hutchinson (57)
Scorers: Pauric Mahony (0-8; 0-6f; 0-1 ‘65); Patrick Fitzgerald and Dessie Hutchinson (1-2 each); Kevin Mahony and Conor Sheahan (0-2 each); Tim O’Sullivan (0-1)
Roanmore: Jack Chester; Charlie Chester, Frank McGrath, Dean Walsh; Rory Furlong, Billy Nolan, Chris Dempsey; Dale Hayes, Brian Nolan; Gavin O’Brien, Ethan Flynn, Shane Mackey; Cian Wadding, Lee Hearne, Conor Ryan
Subs: Emmet O’Toole for Chris Dempsey (44); Ian Chester for Dale Hayes (47); Sean Burke for Brian Nolan (50)
Scorers: Gavin O’Brien (0-8; 0-7f; 0-1 ‘65); Lee Hearne (0-2); Billy Nolan and Ethan Flynn (0-1 each)
Referee: Nicholas Barry (Passage)
