Gunners find higher gears to see off De La Salle
De La Salle's Jake Dillon and Oisin Power trying to stop Ballygunner's Kevin Mahony from winning possession.
Ballygunner turned on the style either side of the half time whistle to leave De La Salle for dust, scoring twelve unanswered points to ultimately win by the same margin at the finish.
The All-Ireland champions were given an almighty scare by the same opposition last year, but never looked in real trouble here despite a spirited first-half showing from the challengers.
Dessie Hutchinson opened the scoring with a free after just over a minute played, but De La Salle were level soon after as Jack Twomey opened his shoulders and found the target from inside his own 65.
Kevin Mahony then teed up brother Mikey who produced a beautiful touch to point in front of Mikey Costigan, before Harry Ruddle teed up Peter Hogan for a trademark score.
A free from Cormac Dawson and another fine run and score from Twomey made it 0-3 apiece on 11 minutes, before Jack Fagan teed up youngster Darragh Keane to find the target as De La Salle assumed the lead.
Hutchinson levelled matters with a placed ball, before turning provider to Kevin Mahony for his first of the afternoon. Hogan picked out Mahony quickly after, and he duly notched his second.
One got the sense that Ballygunner were finding a rhythm now and that was certain as they struck for the game’s only goal on 16 minutes - Philip Mahony and Cormac Power combined down the left flank and a delivery dropped in the direction of Conor Tobin. Tobin left two defenders in his wake with a lightning burst of speed, and finished emphatically to the far corner to give the Gunners a five point lead. 1-6 to 0-4.
Shane Power provided an instant reply, before another two from Cormac Dawson as De La Salle attempted to make the advantage of a sizable breeze count.
Hutchinson continued to work the scoreboard from placed balls, before a monstrous strike from goalkeeper Shaun O’Brien brought it back to a two-point game.
The impressive Twomey then produced the score of the match on 22 minutes, as he burst out of defence and wriggled free of Conor Sheahan before a pinpoint strike from distance split the uprights. Brian Cunningham was afforded space and he duly levelled, as the Gracedieu men kept the Gunners firmly on their toes.
The All-Ireland champions very nearly struck a second goal on 26 minutes as Tobin slalomed past Jack Fagan and unleashed a rasping strike, but O’Brien was on hand to make a superb diving save before Hutchinson was on hand to point the rebound.
Tobin then teed up Hutchinson in space, but again De La Salle had the answers as Dawson converted a free and Mikey Costigan let fly from range to level.
Hogan was like an orchestra conductor and played a pass to Kevin Mahony who leapt highest to fire over his third on the cusp of half time, before a quality score from Tobin made it 1-11 to 0-12 at the break.
De La Salle would’ve been happy with their performance, but knowing Ballygunner would have a considerable breeze - a two point deficit was probably not going to be enough to fashion talk of a potential upset.
Mark Hartley wriggled free to hit the opening score within seconds of the resumption, and made it two in succession when first to react to a Sheahan sideline and flash it over the bar. A Hutchinson effort from the far sideline moved the Gunners back five to the good as they began to purr and hit an unrelenting purple patch.
O’Brien was on hand to deny Tobin again on 34 minutes, but another Hutchinson free and an error punished by Hartley ensured that De La Salle’s challenge was quickly unravelling. Mikey Mahony doubled his tally from range, before Kevin Mahony twisted Lorcan Dwyer inside out to establish a nine-point cushion.
Mikey Mahony was afforded too much room, Hutchinson made no mistake from another free and Conor Sheahan opened his account as the Gunners made it twelve points without response either side of the break.
Stephen O’Keeffe was called into action on 43 minutes but got down well to deny Conor Power, before Twomey sliced over their first score in what seemed an age.
A Cormac Dawson free was quickly cancelled out by Cormac Power, before substitute Patrick Fitzgerald produced a beauty from an angle to push the boat out even further. Another from Dawson was followed by a fourth from the excellent Mikey Mahony, before Hutchinson notched his ninth heading down the home straight.
Jack Jacob went for goal but had to settle for a point, before Patrick Fitzgerald flashed a chance wide at the other end. A fine strike from Sheahan emphasised the dominance, before Hutchinson brought up double digits for him and the 30-point mark for Ballygunner.
A Cormac Dawson effort and a sixth of the afternoon from Twomey rounded out the scoring as the Gunners ran out comfortable winners, going 68 unbeaten and counting as the quest for 13 News & Star Cups on the spin appears to be in rude health.
Dessie Hutchinson (0-10; 0-8f); Conor Tobin (1-1); Kevin Mahony and Mikey Mahony (0-4 each); Mark Hartley (0-3); Conor Sheahan (0-2); Cormac Power, Peter Hogan and Patrick Fitzgerald (0-1 each)
Cormac Dawson (0-7; 0-4f); Jack Twomey (0-6); Shaun O’Brien, Darragh Keane, Shane Power, Mikey Costigan, Brian Cunningham (0-1 each)
Stephen O’Keeffe; Eoin O’Brien, Cormac Power, Tadhg Foley; Harry Ruddle, Philip Mahony, Ronan Power; Conor Sheahan, Paddy Leavey; Dessie Hutchinson, Mark Hartley, Peter Hogan, Conor Tobin, Kevin Mahony, Mikey Mahony.
Ian Kenny for Eoin O’Brien (37); Patrick Fitzgerald for Mark Hartley (42); Fiacra Cooney for Paddy Leavey (51)
Shaun O’Brien; Darragh Keane, Charlie O’Callaghan, Lorcan Dwyer; Mikey Costigan, Brian Cunningham, Conor Power; Sam Flynn, Colm Morris; Adam Farrell, Jack Fagan, Shane Power; Jack Jacob, Cormac Dawson, Jack Twomey.
Jake Dillon for Shane Power (37); Tom Moran for Sam Flynn (44); Toby Ryan for Colm Morris (50); Oisin Power for Darragh Keane (54); Daniel Goff for Lorcan Dwyer (57)
Nicky O’Toole (Mount Sion)
