Ballygunner will met Kilmallock in the Munster hurling final in January.
The Waterford Champions ran home as 2.11 to 0-12 winners over Tipp kingpins Loughmore-Castleiney in Fraher Field yesterday where the wind and rain made for testing and tough conditions for both teams.
Stand-out performances of some players were unfortunately overshadowed by controversial red cards being shown to the visiting team. Two red cards for Loughmore brothers Noel and John McGrath saw them end the game with thirteen men and their hopes of making it to the Munster decider were quenched as the game entered its final ten minutes.
Gunners View
Speaking to WLR Sport after the game, Gunners manager Darragh O' Sullivan was on a different page to his Loughmore counterpart. O' Sullivan was happy to sing the praises of his players, who earned a hard-fought win against a team that didn't give up despite being suddenly without two key players.
"The lads had to go really, really deep against a tremendous Loughmore team. We're gonna have to try and regroup now and you know it'll be brilliant coming into Christmas and you're looking forward to a Munster in the New Year. I'm so proud of how they performed. They really went into the trenches; conditions have been horrible out there and people questioned our commitment in horrible conditions. And you see what the lads did playing against a strong wind in the second half; went in only a point up at halftime and won the game by four of five."
"We had the answers. There are big moments in that game. I think there's more in us. Today was a war of attrition out there. That's what it was. Throughout the game, we gave away seven frees in the first half, they scored seven out of their nine points from frees so our discipline wasn't great in the first half."
While O' Sullivan was happy in the knowledge that they would be going into the Christmas break with a final day in Munster on the far side of it, his opposite number Frankie McGrath was less than pleased with how his team were treated, and the conditions they had to play in.
McGrath left fuming at final whistle
"We had two incredible hurlers ended up above in the stand. Somebody would want to stand back and have a little look. Two guys that have incredible records. Given the two characters involved, I'd be pretty sure somebody got something wrong somewhere."
"Well, I am annoyed. Incredibly annoyed. I mean, we've had 19 weeks in a row, and this is the standard that we got when we came down here. Even in the conditions like, look, I don't want to say too much like because our guys are in there and they're absolutely gutted. Absolutely gutted. What do they expect when they come down here? They expect at the very least they expect fair play. Did they get fair play? Well, I'll let you decide that."
With the game set for 3.15 in the month of December - floodlights were needed and therefore with home advantage in Ballygunners back pocket, Fraher Field was set for the final four clash. On paper, the fixture made sense, but the weather that rolled in on Sunday made for undesirable and far from ideal conditions for hurlig.
Winter hurling is one thing, but as an incensed McGrath points out - other arrangements could have been made to make sure the teams were given every chance to put their best foot forward.
"These guys deserve better. These guys absolutely deserve better. Did the game have to be played under floodlights today? Two outstanding teams and we have to play - no disrespect to the people who look after the pitch, I'm sure to the guys here done their pitch to the best of their ability - but if people want to promote hurling, today was the big hurling match of the day. We played on a poor pitch, under lights. Was that necessary? The powers that be that promote the game have some soul searching to do. We're doing our best to promote it.
The teams in Leinster can go to Croke Park to play their games. That's the very least that players are entitled to at this time of year. If they want the club scene to happen at this time of year - they're talking about the split season. Then take the games to the playable pitches. Páirc Uí Chaoimh isn't too far from here, an outstanding facility. Why couldn't it have been played there? I'm sure Ballygunner wouldn't have had any problem going there either"
