Late Ballygunner scoring spree books another Munster final spot
Ballygunner's Paddy Leavey clears under pressure from Kilmallock's Shane O'Brien during their AIB Munster Club Senior hurling championship semi-final clash played at Azzurri Walsh Park on Sunday last. Photos: INPHO/Bryan Keane
Eight points without response in the final ten minutes proved decisive as Ballygunner marched on to a ninth consecutive Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship Final at the expense of Kilmallock.
On 49 minutes, Kilmallock had roared back and it was 1-12 to 1-11 in the 13-in-a-row Waterford champions’ favour, but Ballygunner don’t do panic - reeling off a host of scores without reply to ultimately breeze into yet another provincial decider.
The All-Ireland champions led by four at the break following a first half played with ferocious intensity, as Kilmallock’s exemplary work-rate had the hosts constantly flirting with danger.
Bomber Hickey’s side opened the scoring with 50 seconds on the clock, as Pierce Connery fired over from a free, but Ballygunner were soon level as Harry Ruddle opened his shoulders and found the radar from range.
Connery again profited from a throw ball to fire over another, before Dessie Hutchinson teed up Pauric Mahony to narrowly draw his strike in as it was blow for blow in the early exchanges. Aided by the breeze, the Limerick champions got their first from play via Connery when he was unselfishly picked out by Steven Quirke, but a belter against the said breeze from Mikey Mahony had it level for a third time in an instant.
The turning point in the opening period arrived on nine minutes as Ballygunner struck gold - Pauric Mahony played a great ball into Patrick Fitzgerald who turned his man and fired toward goal. His effort was thwarted by an outstanding save from Conor Hanley-Clarke, but who better than Hutchinson to blaze home the rebound in what was a real sucker punch to Kilmallock.
Connery notched his fourth as Shane O’Brien began to cause some trouble, and Connery soon pointed a free he won to reduce arrears back to the minimum. A trademark Hutchinson point following superb defensive work from Philip Mahony again titled the scales, but a brilliant solo score from O’Brien kept it finely poised.
Hutchinson was first to a breaking ball to bring his tally to 1-2 approaching the interval, before Fitzgerald got the better of Jackie Dwane to open his account as Ballygunner began to find their rhythm. A missile of a free from Mahony proved the final score of the half as the Gunners led 1-7 to 0-6, but on the evidence of the first half - it was certainly all to play for in the second period.
Upon the resumption, momentum remained with Jason Ryan’s men as they reeled off another three without response - the excellent Peter Hogan pointed on 34 minutes, before Mikey Mahony slalomed through for his second score and Hutchinson was afforded acres as the gap had suddenly grown to seven.
Credit to Kilmallock, their heads never dropped as they roared back into contention. A free from Hanley-Clarke and another from Connery settled the ship, but a belter from play after a give-and-go puckout by Ballygunner ‘keeper Stephen O’Keeffe again served reminder of the champions’ quality.
Hanley-Clarke was then denied by O’Keeffe from a close-range free, before the sliotar was eventually recycled to Oisin O’Reilly as Kilmallock did manage to come away with a score. The game sparked into life on 45 minutes as the Balbec struck for a goal of their own.
With seemingly little danger on, Shane O’Brien managed to pickpocket a defender and square to O’Reilly, and he rounded O’Keeffe before finding the net - 1-11 to 1-9, and suddenly all to play for.
A free from Pauric Mahony calmed the Gunners, but O’Reilly’s switch into the half-forward line continued to pay dividends as he again worked the scoreboard, before a Connery free brought the gap back to the minimum on 49 minutes.
It was from here that we saw Ballygunner at their brilliant best as they reeled off eight points without reply to canter home.
A timely settler from Hogan kickstarted proceedings, and it was only thanks to the heroic interventions of Hanley-Clarke that the game wasn’t over sooner. A mesmeric blind pass from Fitzgerald afforded Hutchinson the opportunity to plunder his second goal on 51 minutes but the Kilmallock stopper was level to his initial effort, before somehow denying Kevin Mahony on the follow-up to keep their hopes intact.
A free from Pauric Mahony moved the gap to three before Hutchinson let rip from range and Mikey Mahony added his third and the game was suddenly getting away from Kilmallock. Substitute Mark Hartley glided over another to add insult to injury, before two frees from the exemplary Pauric Mahony and a final point from play via the same man settled proceedings.
Superior composure and ruthless accuracy proved the difference as the Waterford kingpins ultimately reeled off an eighth successive win against Limerick opposition - and now Thurles Sarsfields stand in the way of them and a record seventh Munster crown in two weeks’ time.
Pauric Mahony (0-7; 0-5f); Dessie Hutchinson (1-4); Mikey Mahony (0-3); Peter Hogan (0-2); Harry Ruddle, Patrick Fitzgerald, Stephen O’Keeffe and Mark Hartley (0-1 each)
Pierce Connery (0-7; 0-6f); Oisin O’Reilly (1-2); Conor Hanley-Clarke (0-1; 0-1f); Shane O’Brien (0-1)
Stephen O’Keeffe; Aaron O’Neill, Ian Kenny, Tadhg Foley; Harry Ruddle, Philip Mahony, Ronan Power; Conor Sheahan, Paddy Leavey; Dessie Hutchinson, Pauric Mahony, Peter Hogan; Patrick Fitzgerald, Kevin Mahony, Mikey Mahony.
Mark Hartley for Dessie Hutchinson (9; blood); Dessie Hutchinson for Mark Hartley (13); Mark Hartley for Conor Sheahan (53); Eoin Cuddihy for Pauric Mahony (60); Cormac Power for Ronan Power (60); Eoin O’Brien for Aaron O’Neill (60)
Conor Hanley-Clarke; Aaron Costello, Robbie Egan, Jackie Dwane; Mark O’Loughlin, Ciaran O’Connor, Killian Hayes; Michaél Houlihan, Steven Quirke; Robbie Hanley, Shane O’Brien, Graeme Mulcahy; Pierce Connery, Phelim O’Reilly, Oisin O’Reilly.
Gearoid Enright for Mark O’Loughlin (40); Paudie O’Brien for Steven Quirke (53); Kevin O’Donnell for Robbie Hanley (57); Conor Staunton for Killian Hayes (60)
Niall Malone (Clare)
