Abbeyside to take on the champions in historic title bid
The last time Abbeyside and Ballygunner met in the JJ Kavanagh & Sons Co. senior hurling final back in 2018, it was Shane O'Sullivan that lifted the cup. Who will it be on Sunday? Photo: INPHO.
There is no such thing as recovery time following two weeks of knockout championship action for Ballygunner and Abbeyside as they face into county final action in Fraher Field on Sunday next with the game to be decided on the day, going down to penalties if necessary.
Make no mistake about it the odds are firmly stacked in favour of the defending champions going in search of an eleventh successive title and a fifteenth since the turn of the century having appeared in all but two of the finals played in that period.
Abbeyside will be appearing in the final for the seventh time in the club’s history having lost the first four to Mount Sion in 1955, ’57, ’64 and ’69 before returning thirty nine years later to lose to De La Salle in 2008 and to Ballygunner ten years later. In the mid-fifties newly promoted Abbeyside were the strongest challengers to Mount Sion’s dominance and went very close to winning the title on their first appearance in 1955, losing by just three points.
After a long period of absence as hurling title contenders in which period the club’s football wing, Ballinacourty, gained football prominence, underage success preceded a return to the senior hurling scene, winning three of the four previous U-21 titles, beating Ballygunner twice and De La Salle but again the senior title just eluded them when losing narrowly to De La Salle in the 2008 decider. Abbeyside avenged that final defeat by beating De La Salle in the 2018 semi-final but were no match for a Ballygunner side at their best in the final.
The disappointment of that defeat was compensated for a few months later as Abbeyside won the U-21 title, beating De La Salle with Conor Prunty as captain backed up by Michael Kiely, Neil Montgomery, Sean Whelan-Barrett and Eoin Kiely all of whom have formed the backbone of the side bidding for senior glory on Sunday next where they will be joined by stars coming through from recent underage ranks in Charlie Treen, Rian Walsh, Billy O’Connell and Willie Beresford.
Abbeyside have competed strongly with Ballygunner in various underage grades in recent years and are now ready to challenge the champions at the highest level. In Michael Kiely they have a potential match winner with a scent for goals while Charlie Teen is emerging as a player with the same potential. Willie Beresford is a power house in midfield while Conor Prunty’s versatility can see him adapting to any role. Neil Montgomery made a return to action in the final minutes against Mount Sion indicating that he may have recovered sufficiently from injury and be ready to start on Sunday which would be a big boost to Abbeyside’s chances.
Ballygunner go into this final without having sparkled in the championship to date, doing just as much as they needed to progress to the final. Their eyes are on the bigger Munster and All Ireland prizes but they will be only too aware that they must retain their county title to keep such ambitions alive. They do not take things for granted and on Sunday we can expect to see the champions moving up a gear on recent performances.
This is a hugely experienced Ballygunner side and while Abbeyside have a potential match winner in Michael Kiely the Gunners have a number of players who can deliver on a given day in such as Pauric Mahony, Dessie Hutchinson, Kevin Mahony and Peter Hogan. With Shane O’Sullivan likely to return, following his one game ban, Stephen O’Keeffe will be fronted by the same six defenders as have served well in recent years.
Ballygunner will play as they have always done, with intensity and movement with every player looking for the ball. As rank outsiders Abbeyside have nothing to lose on Sunday and they would do well not to be concerned about man marking Ballygunner’s key players. They should play to their own strengths leaving it to their big players such as Prunty, Montgomery and Kiely to take the game to the opposition.
Both sides know all they need to know about each other. Abbeyside have pushed the champions close in the past and will be alert to any slackness in their approach to this final. Ballygunner continue to be the history makers however, and are unlikely to slip up on Sunday.
