Loughmore/Castleiney outclassed by Ballygunner

GAA: AIB Munster Club Senior Hurling Championship Semi-Final

Ballygunner 1-26

Loughmore/Castleiney 1-16

Report: Noel Dundon at Walsh Park, Waterford

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Pauric Mahony (Ballygunner)

SCORERS - Ballygunner: Pauric Mahony 1-10 (0-5 frees); Dessie Hutchinson (2 frees), Peter Hogan 0-4 each; Kevin Mahony 0-3; Cormac Power 0-2; Conor Sheahan, Stephen O’Keeffe, Mikey Mahony 0-1 each.

Loughmore/Castleiney: John McGrath 0-9 (8 frees); John Meagher 1-1; Ciaran Connolly 0-2; Liam Treacy, Ed Meagher, John Ryan, Noel McGrath (free) 0-1 each.

Loughmore/Castleiney’s bid to atone for previous Munster club senior hurling championship heartache to Ballygunner fell well short in this semi-final clash on Sunday afternoon.

The Tipperary champions came a cropper in a seven-minute spell just before the interval when the provincial title holders bagged 1-6 without reply to effectively seal the victory at that stage.

The gulf between the sides was evident all the way through and though Loughmore/Castleiney threw everything they had at Ballygunner and matched them for periods of that first half, the scores were just far easier to come by for the hosts who had talisman Pauric Mahony in sparkling form –unmarkable in that first half and he inflicted fatal wounds throughout to the Loughmore/Castleiney men.

Conditions were absolutely perfect for this game and a large travelling support had ensured that the Waterford venue would be like a home-from-home for the Loughmore/Castleiney men who came into the game on the back of a four week lay-off from the football final.

That break was a welcome one for them as they celebrated their double success and still had plenty of time to sharpen their focus on the challenge once it became apparent who they would be facing.

The temptation to parachute the returned former Tipp panellist John Meagher into the starting line-up was resisted by the management and though he was called upon at the interval, by that stage a lot of damage had already been done.

Ballygunner, searching for their fourth Munster title in succession, were raging hot favourites to reach a seventh final in a row. Their dominance of the Waterford scene has primed them for a timed run in Munster and though they had struggled to get over Limerick’s first-time champions Doon in the quarter final following a nine week off-period, they were still regarded as the standard bearers, and the team to beat.

And so, it played out. The ‘Gunners were dictating the game despite the really stern questions being asked of them by the Loughmore/Castleiney players who worked their socks off but were just unable to stop the haemorrhage of scores – it was sixteen scores to eight at the break, and the 1-6 without reply in the last seven minutes dictated the outcome of the game.

Up to that point, Loughmore/Castleiney had refused to give way and though they fell into arrears to the tune of three points on three separate occasions, the feeling was that if they could maintain that margin until the break, it would be manageable considering that they would play wind-assisted in the second half.

Ballygunner had three on the board inside three minutes with Pauric Mahony getting two of those to go along with a Kevin Mahony point. By the tenth minute the three point gap had advanced with Peter Hogan (2) joining Mahony on the scoresheet, against John McGrath (2) and Ciaran Connolly scores for the Tipp men.

Ballygunner could have goaled in the tenth minute when Dessie Hutchinson blocked down an attempted Aidan McGrath clearance, but he struck the side-netting with his shot, a real let-off.

Ed Meagher hit a fine score for Loughmore/Castleiney followed by John McGrath and John Ryan scores, but Pauric Mahony was having a blinder and he would go on to shoot a further 1-5 before half time as the ‘Gunners found their range again.

Following an off-the-ball incident in which Peter Hogan and Ed Meagher were yellow carded – an outcome which incensed the Tipp champions after Meagher was left sprawled on the ground – Ballygunner took off. Points from Pauric Mahony (2), Dessie Hutchinson, Mikey Mahony, Peter Hogan, Pauric Mahony and then Mahony’s goal followed as the game drifted in the Deise men’s direction as Loughmore/Castleiney chased shadows.

The 1-15 to 0-8 gap between them was considerable and it would take a herculean effort for them to get back into the match. The size of the mountain didn’t stop them from trying though.

The second half actually ended in a draw 1-8 to 0-11 but the Loughmore/Castleiney goal came right at the very death when John Meagher deflected a Ciaran McCormack delivery from a free into the net.

The ‘Gunners continued to tack on the points with Patrick Fitzgerald starting it off after resumption. They followed up with Dessie Hutchinson (3), Peter Hogan, Pauric Mahony, Kevin Mahony and sub Cormac Power (2 each) to confirm a victory which was never in doubt by the half way mark, and place in the final against Sarsfields of Cork.

Loughmore/Castleiney had scores of their own through John McGrath (3), John Meagher, Ciaran Connolly, Noel McGrath, and Liam Treacy and to their credit, they continued to battle all the way to the final whistle.

But it wasn’t to be, and they were a distance off their opponents on the day – illness to Noel & Brian McGrath leading up to the game not helping their cause.

TEAMS - Ballygunner: Stephen O’Keeffe (9); Ian Kenny (7), Barry Coughlan (7), Tadhg Foley (6); Harry Ruddle (7), Philip Mahony (8), Ronan Power (7); Conor Sheahan (7), Paddy Leavey (7); Dessie Hutchinson (7), Pauric Mahony (9), Peter Hogan (9); Patrick Fitzgerald (6), Kevin Mahony (8), Mikey Mahony (7).

Subs: Cormac Power (6) for Fitzgerald (48); Shane O’Sullivan (6) for Hogan (53); Conor Tobin (6) for M Mahony (57); Aaron O’Neill (NR) for Foley (59); Jake Foley (NR) for Pauric Mahony (59).

Loughmore/Castleiney: Aidan McGrath (7); Lorcan Egan (6), Willie Eviston (7), Eoin O’Connell (5); John Ryan (6), Brian McGrath (5), Ed Meagher (5); Noel McGrath (6), Ciaran Connolly (8); Tommy Maher (5), Tomas McGrath (6), Ed Connolly (5); John McGrath (7), Ciaran McGrath (6), Liam McGrath (5).

Subs: John Meagher (6) for O’Connell (HT); Ciaran McCormack (6) for Maher (HT); Paul McCahey (6) for Connolly (44); Liam Treacy (6) for C McGrath (46); Darragh McCahey (NR) for Ryan (53).

Referee: Ciaran O’Regan (Cork).