Short-handed Kilruane outgunned by impressive Ballygunner

GAA: AIB Munster Club Senior Hurling Championship Quarter Final

Ballygunner 4-19

Kilruane MacDonaghs 0-14

Report: Liam Hogan at Walsh Park

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Pauric Mahony (Ballygunner)

SCORERS - Ballygunner: Kevin Mahony 2-2; Patrick Fitzgerald 1-4; Pauric Mahony 0-6 (3 frees); Dessie Hutchinson 0-3; Harry Ruddle 1-0; Billy O’Keeffe 0-2; Jake Foley, Peter Hogan 0-1 each.

Kilruane MacDonaghs: Wille Cleary 0-5 frees; Cian Darcy 0-3; Jerome Cahill 0-2; Niall O’Meara, Eoin Hogan, Sean McAdams, Kian O’Kelly 0-1 each

Last Sunday was a day that Kilruane MacDonaghs will want to forget. It wasn’t one of the heady days that the club enjoyed at Munster of yore.

Playing their tenth Munster championship game in their history, it ended in a disappointing eighteen-point defeat which dulled the excitement of seven days previous when the club ended a 37-year wait for a county final title.

Perhaps, the celebrations took its toll, but they were no match for a Ballygunner side that played at their will. We wondered if the eight week lay-off would do harm to the Waterford and All-Ireland champions but there was no hanging around for an answer. Yes, Kilruane may have stayed the pace for most of the first half but once Ballygunner scored two goals, one either side of the break, there was no way back for the Tipperary champions.

They had the better scoring forwards and with little difficulty their full forward line of Dessie Hutchinson, Patrick Fitzgerald and Kevin Mahony combined to score 1-7 from play in the opening half which rose to 3-9 by the end of the game.

It was the opposite for Kilruane when suffered up front with Jerome Cahill and Cian Darcy the best threat on offer with Darcy scoring two points inside the first three minutes. Both were in response to scores from the excellent Patrick Fitzgerald and Pauric Mahony who gave Ballygunner the lead each time.

Kilruane looked comfortable and in the fifth minute, Willie Cleary was clean through for a goal but an excellent hook by Ian Kenny saved the day for the Waterford champions and the danger was cleared before Dessie Hutchinson had Ballygunner back in front.

Hutchinson was picked up by James Cleary and he was a handful for the Kilruane corner back who was hoping to repeat his great display in the county final, but it was not so easy against such a class player. In fact, the entire Kilruane backline had their hands full as Peter Hogan, Mikey Mahoney and Pauric Mahony dominated on the forty with the trio drifting from side to side like ghosts in the night. Yet, both Eoin Hogan and Niall O’Meara had their moments.

However, Ballygunner were in control and every Stephen O’Keeffe restart found an unmarked Ballygunner player which commenced another well organised attack and when Dessie Hutchinson picked up his third point, the home side led 0-5 to 0-2 but misfortune hit Kilruane when Aaron Morgan had to depart the scene with a hand injury in the fourteenth minute. He was replaced by the evergreen Seamus Hennessy who put in a great day’s work.

With nineteen minutes gone, Ballygunner led 0-7 to 0-4 when another of their many attacks almost set up a goal chance but Paidi Williams was equal to a fine effort by Kevin Mahony. The same player became Ballygunner’s fourth forward to score to make it 0-9 to 0-4 before Ballygunner stretched the lead to six after Fitzgerald scored his third.

Yet, Kilruane had their moments and leading the way with every opportunity was Jerome Cahill who narrowed the gap to five after scoring a brilliant point from the left wing. Eoin Hogan followed up with a good score to become the second Kilruane half back to score after Niall O’Meara scored in the fifteenth minute.

Trailing by four seemed manageable for the Tipp champs but approaching the half hour their house began to crumble when Patrick Fitzgerald found the net at the end of a well worked move involving Philip & Pauric Mahony.

At half time, it was 1-11 to 0-7 and now playing with the breeze Ballygunner went for the jugular. With full forward Kevin Mahony scoring a point after thirty seconds, the same player was involved sixty seconds later, this time with a goal after Ballygunner had turned defence into attack. Once, Paddy Fitzgerald brought his total to 1-4, Ballygunner led 2-13 to 0-8.

Yet Kilruane fought back and thanks to the efforts of Jack Peters, Seamus Hennessy plus Sean McAdams, and Mark O’Neill, who had been overshadowed by the ever-present Paddy Leavy and Conor Sheahan, and as a result Kilruane hit a purple patch with three unanswered points through Cian Darcy, Kian O’Kelly, and Willie Cleary from a free in the 40th minute.

But any hopes of a comeback were quickly dealt a blow, when a minute later, Niall O’Meara departed the scene though injury. Ballygunner had just introduced Harry Ruddle and five minutes later he took a well-placed pass from Hutchinson before delivering low shot past Paidi Williams for Ballygunner to lead 3-14 to 0-12.

From there, it was Ballygunner all the way and after Pauric Mahony added a long rang free quickly followed by a Billy O’Keeffe score it was goal number four when Conor Sheahan delivered neatly for Kevin Mahony to drift past the Kilruane defence and give Williams no chance.

After adding three more scores, Ballygunner were well home and hosed and keenly looking forward to their Munster semi-final tilt with Limerick champions, Na Piarsaigh on Sunday week. It should be some game.

TEAMS - Ballygunner: Stephen O’Keeffe (7); Ian Kenny (7), Barry Coughlan (7), Tadgh Foley (7); Shane O’Sullivan (7), Philip Mahony (7), Ronan Power (7); Conor Sheahan (8), Paddy Leavy (8); Pauric Mahony (8), Mike Mahony (7), Peter Hogan (8); Patrick Fitzgerald (8), Kevin Mahony (7), Dessie Hutchinson (8).

Subs: Billy O’Keeffe (7) for M Mahony (34); Harry Ruddle (7) for Hogan (42); Jake Foley (7) for Fitzgerald (47); Tom Gallagher (6) for Power (48); Tim O’Sullivan (NR) for K Mahony (53).

Kilruane MacDonaghs: Paidi Williams (7); James Cleary (6), Jack Peters (7), Kieran Cahill (6); Conor Austin (6), Niall O’Meara (7), Eoin Hogan (6); Sean McAdams (6), Mark O’Neill (6); Willie Cleary (6), Jerome Cahill (7), Aaron Morgan (6), Kian O’Kelly (6), Cian Darcy (7).

Subs: Seamus Hennessy (7) for A Morgan (14 inj); Karl Williams (6) for O’Meara (41 inj); Conor Cleary (6) for C Austin (46); Eoin Carroll (HR) for W Cleary (55); Rob Austin (HR) for T Cleary (60).

Referee: Niall Malone (Clare).