Waterford Under 20 attacker Jake Foley fired 1-8 from play as Ballygunner overcame Ballysaggart after extra time in a classic county intermediate final under the Fraher Field floodlights (2-29 to 3-20). A first intermediate crown since 1984 for the men in red and black.
Saggart led by three points entering injury time of normal time before Gunners wing back Tom Gallagher flicked home the equalising goal from an Eoin O'Brien 65. The teams were level on ten occasions. Déise All Star Stephen Bennett shot 2-13 (2-4 from play) but finished on the losing side. He has scored a staggering 9-55 in six intermediate games this season.
The sides were level four times in the first half. Stephen Bennett slotted seven points. Shane Bennett got a wonder score off the throw in. Shane and Stephen were both shown yellow cards. Ballygunner's All Ireland final hero Harry Ruddle tied the scores at ten points each with an injury time effort.
Jake Foley found the top corner for the Gunners six minutes into the second period (1-12 to 0-11). Two minutes later, Stephen Bennett connected with a Darren Meagher delivery to billow the net. Bennett's second goal on 46 minutes made it 2-13 to 1-13. Saggart shot stopper Michael Ryan then produced a full length penalty save from David Walsh. Another Shane Bennett beauty kept them three points clear heading into the dying moments before Tom Gallagher forced extra time (2-18 apiece).
30 seconds in, Kyle Bennett netted from an acute angle. Harry Ruddle and Jake Foley brought Ballygunner back level at the break (3-19 to 2-22).
The Gunners outscored their opponents seven points to one over the second period. Man of the match Foley added two more while David Walsh completed the night with ten in total. The first part of a potential treble. Ballysaggart finished with fourteen men as Chris O'Gorman got a straight red card for dissent.
Ballygunner's win means that Dunhill are safe in the senior ranks for 2023. Saggart will represent Waterford in the Munster club championship.
Scorers for Ballygunner: J Foley 1-8, D Walsh 0-10 (4fs, 1 65), H Ruddle 0-4, T Gallagher 1-0, C Power, E O'Brien 0-3 each, G Corbett 0-1.
Scorers for Ballysaggart: Stephen Bennett 2-13 (8fs, 1 65), K Bennett 1-0, Shane Bennett 0-2, K Cashel, T Nugent, S Ryan, R Walsh, C O'Gorman 0-1 each.
Ballygunner: M Kilgannon; C Cantwell, N Byrne, T Gallagher; S Harney, B O'Sullivan, E O'Brien; D O'Keeffe, G Flynn; H Ruddle, C Power, C Berry; D Walsh, J Foley, G Corbett.
Subs: E Hayden for Flynn (HT), L Horgan for Corbett (53), G Corbett for Berry (77).
Ballysaggart: M Ryan; L O'Gorman, D Meagher, E O'Brien; J Roche, S Ryan, S Mangan; Shane Bennett, R Bennett; R Walsh, C O'Gorman, K Bennett; Stephen Bennett, K Cashel, T Nugent.
Subs: K Fennessy for Nugent (40), C O'Gorman for Fennessy (60),
Referee: N Barry
