Five star Ballygunner go 54 games unbeaten
Ballygunner's Aaron O’Neill in action with Dungarvan's Sean Crotty.
Without injured trio Philip Mahony, Dessie Hutchinson and Patrick Fitzgerald, Ballygunner blitzed Dungarvan by 23 points on a sunny Saturday evening. The team chasing eleven in a row could even afford to shoot fifteen wides. Scary stuff for the chasing pack.
It’s now 54 games unbeaten in Waterford for the men in red and black. Since the 2013 county final loss to Passage, they have played 65, won 63, drawn one and lost one.
Mahony, Hutchinson and Fitzgerald won’t be back until the knockout stages but Conor Tobin (2-1), Cormac Power (1-4) and Aaron O’Neill (1-1) all grabbed the chance to impress manager Darragh O’Sullivan. The ever reliable Pauric Mahony also looked sharp with nine points (five from play) while younger brother Kevin picked up from where he left off with Waterford by shooting 1-3 from play. Stephen O’Keeffe pulled off two superb saves from Patrick Curran and Michael Kiely.
After suffering back to back defeats, Dungarvan enter the preliminary quarter finals. The Blues lost Patrick and John Curran to injury while Darragh Lyons was also unavailable. Michael Kiely took the fight to Ballygunner and finished with 2-6.
A minute’s silence was observed beforehand for Dungarvan clubman Garry Morrissey. The atmosphere was pretty flat throughout as Ballygunner took control immediately. Dungarvan had an extra defender but their opponents just played around it.
In the second minute, the hard running Aaron O’Neill swapped passes with Cormac Power and flicked a ground stroke past Dungarvan goalkeeper Craig Barry. Pauric Mahony then struck a peach off his left side in front of the bank. O’Neill nearly netted his second goal, after Kevin Mahony put him through, but he fired right and wide. On fourteen minutes, Peter Hogan’s point attempt was flicked goalwards by Power but Barry saved. Kevin Mahony forced the rebound home (2-3 to 0-3).
Eddie Burke tackled Mahony to the ground when the full forward threatened a second green flag. Stephen O'Keeffe thwarted Patrick Curran at the other end. Three Pauric Mahony points and a long distance effort from O’Neill pushed the lead out to ten.
Colm Curran made a fine catch while down on his knees and Michael Kiely converted his fourth free. Two Kevin Mahony points, a rare white flag from Ian Kenny and a monster Paddy Leavey free gave the Gunners a 2-11 to 0-5 advantage at the break. Patrick Curran limped off a minute into added time. He only got a point off Ian Kenny.
Some supporters had seen enough by half time. On the restart, a solo run from Aaron O’Neill set up a Pauric Mahony point. A high tackle from Jack Lacey on Peter Hogan stopped another Ballygunner goal chance and Mahony sent over the free that followed.
On 39 minutes, Stephen O’Keeffe blocked a low shot from Eoin O’Callaghan but Michael Kiely found the net from the rebound. Cormac Power replied with a point off the next attack. Kiely got his second goal on 44 minutes when he flicked home a Lacey free (2-16 to 2-5). The Blues’ best player by far. O’Keeffe dived across his goal to deny Kiely a hat trick.
Dungarvan lost full back John Curran to injury and his absence was felt in the last quarter. With eight minutes left, a reverse hand pass from Kevin Mahony supplied Cormac Power who blasted to the top corner. New captain Conor Sheahan added two trademark points from midfield.
Debutant Conor Tobin delivered 2-1 off the bench. A sensational move on 54 minutes, involving Harry Ruddle and Ian Kenny, was finished by the Waterford Under 20 attacker. Champagne hurling. Three minutes later, Tobin sped past two defenders and picked out the far corner. A serious statement of intent.
Pauric Mahony always brings his A game.
The result felt inevitable once Aaron O’Neill netted early.
Can anyone get close to the Gunners in Waterford?
Ballygunner and Lismore will contest top spot in Group C on Sunday.
Pauric Mahony 0-9 (4fs), Conor Tobin 2-1, Cormac Power 1-4, Kevin Mahony 1-3, Aaron O'Neill 1-1, Conor Sheahan 0-2, Paddy Leavy (f), Ian Kenny 0-1 each.
Michael Kiely 2-6 (4fs, 1 65), Cathal Curran, Patrick Curran 0-1 each.
Stephen O’Keeffe; Sean Harney, Barry Coughlan, Ian Kenny; Aaron O’Neill, Tadhg Foley, Ronan Power; Conor Sheahan, Paddy Leavy; Peter Hogan, Pauric Mahony, Mikey Mahony; Billy O’Keeffe, Kevin Mahony, Cormac Power. Shane O’Sullivan for Mikey Mahony (40), Harry Ruddle for Hogan (40), Conor Tobin for Billy O’Keeffe (42), Cathal O’Sullivan for Kenny (55), Colm Hartley for Kevin Mahony (55).
Craig Barry; Gavin Power, John Curran, Kealan Daly; Mikey Burke, Jack Lacey, Tristan Loftus; Eddie Burke, Cathal Curran; Sean Crotty, Colm Curran, Eoin O’Callaghan; Patrick Curran, Brian Curran, Michael Kiely. Jack Fitzgerald for Patrick Curran (31), Alex Shanahan for Mikey Burke (HT), Gabriel McGovern for Loftus (43), James Maye for John Curran (43), Kyle Healy for Brian Curran (49).
Thomas Walsh.
