Ballygunner 0-25 (25)

Affane Cappoquin Tourin 1-15 (18)

Ballygunner are now just an hour away from potentially having two teams in next year’s Waterford Senior Hurling Championship.

The Gunners were given a real test by Affane Cappoquin Tourin on Friday night, but they showed their composure when it mattered most – firing nine of the last ten points to progress to the decider.

Cappoquin took the lead on two minutes when Eoghan Murray pointed a free, before Tony Brennan found Colm Hartley roaming to open the Gunners account soon after. Billy O’Keeffe then spotted Mark Hartley to give them the lead – and they doubled that advantage when Cathal O’Sullivan was afforded time to plant his feet and find the radar.

Another Murray free reduced the deficit before Mark Hartley skinned Conor Murray to knock over a beautiful score – and Cappoquin’s misery was compounded on 12 minutes as Philip Power drove at their defence and split the posts – while in the process, Gavin Fives became the latest man to go down with a serious looking knee injury on the sandy surface at Fraher Field. The sight of the inter-county man being helped off the pitch is worrying news for club and county alike.

While the welfare conversation began to dominate the terrace talk again, Cappoquin dusted themselves off and knocked over the next three points to draw level. A well-taken effort from Conor Rooney was their first from play on the night, before a Murray free and an effort from Fives’ replacement – Tommy McCarthy – steadied the ship.

Ballygunner responded as they often do with the next three themselves – a Colm Hartley free, a Tom Spain effort and a point over the shoulder from the excellent Gavin Corbett moved Aidan Maher’s men back in front – but replies from Aaron O’Sullivan and another well-executed Murray dead ball kept Cappoquin in touch.

A fine individual score from Colm Hartley was soon cancelled by another dead accurate Murray free, and the game was level once more when substitute Killian O’Sullivan shrugged off his marker and rallied the troops. A snapshot from the lively Spain and another Murray free made it honours even for a fourth time but Colm Hartley then capitalised on a loose sliotar and moved the Gunners ahead by the minimum at the break. This was anyone’s game at the interval.

Tony Larkin threw the ball in for the second period and it was fetched by Tommy McCarthy – and he drove on and on and on towards goal before unleashing an effort toward the bottom left corner to find the game’s only goal and Cappoquin suddenly found themselves two points ahead. A perfect start to the second period for Fintan O’Connor’s charges.

Mark Hartley was then denied a goal of his own by Darren Curran before Colm Hartley brought the difference back to one from the requisite ‘65. A terrific take from Conor Rooney down the right flank drew applause from all in attendance, but Ballygunner weren’t to be denied on the night and responded with five on the spin.

A Hartley free and Philip Power’s second made it all square before Corbett – who began to get the better of Colm Looby – raised another white flag and then turned provider to Tom Spain who spun his man and made no mistake. Mark Hartley then drove forward and provided further punishment as the Gunners threatened to make their dominance pay.

They had 45 shots on the night – and were it not for profligacy they would have been well out of sight. Credit to Cappoquin, their heart could not be faulted. Three successive scores from nowhere brought about parity for a sixth and final time – Murray’s dead balls were deadly and two more did the trick, either side of an Aaron O’Sullivan effort as the game approached a potentially thrilling final quarter.

That didn’t quite play out though, as Ballygunner became clinical at the most crucial moment. Nine of the last ten scores saw them canter home. Corbett shortened his grip to give them a lead they would stretch out significantly before setting up Conor Berry to get in on the act.

Colm Hartley then made Cappoquin pay from a free as well as play, a 51st minute point from Murray proving to be Cappoquin’s last. Cormac Cantwell’s belter was a befitting end to his fine performance, while Hartley (2), Corbett and Cathal O’Sullivan drove the nail into the Cappoquin coffin.

Talk of two Ballygunner teams at senior level has been a topic of debate in recent seasons – we’re now just an hour’s hurling away from possibility becoming reality.

Scorers for Ballygunner: Colm Hartley (0-9; 0-5f; 0-1 ‘65); Gavin Corbett (0-4); Mark Hartley and Tom Spain (0-3 each); Cathal O’Sullivan and Philip Power (0-2 each); Conor Berry and Cormac Cantwell (0-1 each)

Scorers for Affane Cappoquin Tourin: Eoghan Murray (0-9; 0-8f; 0-1 ‘65); Tommy McCarthy (1-1); Conor Rooney and Aaron O’Sullivan (0-2 each); Killian O’Sullivan (0-1)

Ballygunner: Cian Troy; Sean Harney, Craig O’Keeffe, Ollie Fives; Scott Fleming, Cormac Cantwell, Tony Brennan; Cathal O’Sullivan, Mark Hartley; Colm Hartley, Billy O’Keeffe, Conor Berry; Tom Spain, Gavin Corbett, Philip Power.

Subs: Darragh O’Keeffe for Ollie Fives (53); Ciaran Power for Conor Berry (53)

Affane Cappoquin Tourin: Darren Curran; Keith O’Sullivan, Colm Looby, Evan Murray; Mike O’Brien, Gavin Fives, Conor Murray; Cian Nolan, David Cahillane; Aaron O’Sullivan, Eoghan Murray, Niall Fives; Jack Twomey, Conor Rooney, Charlie Nicholson.

Subs: Tommy McCarthy for Gavin Fives (14); Killian O’Sullivan for Mike O’Brien (24); Shane Fives for Keith O’Sullivan (50)

Referee: Tony Larkin (Ballyduff Lower)

For the latest Waterford News and Sport, tune into WLR News on the hour and download the WLR App for news on demand.