Kelly inspires Passage to Victory, Mount Sion are first to reach quarter finals.

Ballygunner could have it all to do if they are to reach the knockout stages of this years county senior hurling championship after they slipped to a second defeat in the league stages of this years championship at Walsh Park on Saturday evening, loosing 1-21 to 4-6 against Abbeyside.

The Gunners who were the leading side within the county for much of the 90’s and for much of the time since the turn of the Millennium, have games to play against Dungarvan and Passage, and they will know that they will get nothing light from these two sides.

Failure to get anything from these games would mean that Ballygunner for the first time in a long number of years would fail to feature in the knockout stages of the competition.

The western side were always on top in this game and lead 0-14 to 1-3 at the break, the Ballygunner goal coming mid way through the opening half from Brian O’Sullivan.

Abbeyside began the second half hitting an early goal through Mark Ferncombe which looked good enough to give his side a very comfortable victory.

But credit Ballygunner. They fought to the very end and in the closing minutes of the game they hit three goals, from Brian O’Sullivan and Stephen Power who cracked a 20 metre free and a ’65 to the Abbeyside net, but the scores proved to be mere consolation scores.

Ballyduff Upper recorded their first win of the year at Fraher Field on Sunday afternoon.

In a very even first half against An Rinn, the two sides retired at the break locked at 1-6 a piece.

The Ballyduff goal came late in the first quarter when Shane Kearney reacted quickest to a Jamie Kearney effort that came back off the post.

An Rinn’s goal came on nineteen minutes. Billí Breathnach cut in from the right hand corner of the field and planted the ball past Kevin Martin who was standing in between the post in place of Adrian Power.

An Rinn in the second half began brightly as Liam Ó Lonáin hit his sides second goal of the game two minutes after the restart.

Six minutes later Ballyduff Upper hit their second goal of the game when Mickey Kearney cracked home from close range to give his side a three point lead.

The reminder of the game proved to be a very even affair as both sides exchanged an even amount of scores. Ballyduff ran out winners 2-13 to 2-10.

Roanmore could have it all to do to avoid been involved in a relegation play off after they suffered a third successive defeat.

Eoin Kelly proved to be the hero for Passage on the day hitting a hat trick of goals inside a twenty minute spell.

Roanmore found stopping the former inter county hurler a near impossible task. The first of his goals came on four minutes. Two minutes later he rattled the net with a twenty metre free and on twenty four minutes he completed his hat trick by kicking to the net.

Laurence O’Neill did hit a first half goal for Roanmore but they went to the dressing rooms trailing 3-6 to 1-4.

Passage lost Eoin Kelly in the third quarter of the game with an injury. After he went off Roanmore came more into the game and hit a second goal on fifty minutes from Gavin O’Brien which left four points between the sides.

Passage hit three points in a row in the following minutes to extend their lead, and while Roanmore through Paul O’Toole hit a late third goal, it proved to be but a consolation score.

Mount Sion became the first team to secure their place in the last eight of the competition after they had three points to spare over last years beaten finalists – Dungarvan.

The Monastery men went to the dressing rooms at the break leading 1-5 to 0-7, the goal coming late in the half from Sean Ryan who touched home an Austin Gleeson free.

Dungarvan who had impressive performances from Cormac Curran who finished the game with nine points, Gavin Crotty who finished with four points and Jamie Nagle who is an early runner for the Waterford Player of the Year award pushed Mount Sion hard in the second half and looked as though they were going to record a second win in this years championship as they lead 0-16 to 1-11 with three minutes to play, but a hat trick of points from Martin O’Neill and one each for Austin Gleeson and Stephen Roche ensured that victory was going to be Mount Sion’s.

In the final game of the weekend, Lismore recorded a first championship win of the year when they proved too strong for Tallow at Ballyduff.

At the break Lismore lead 0-11 to 0-3.

John Heneghan hit the games first goal late in the third quarter to give his side a 1-13 to 0-6 advantage.

William Henley pulled a goal back for Tallow with eight minutes to go leaving eight points between the sides, but Lismore put in a very strong closing few minutes in this game as the Shanahan brothers Dan and then Maurice struck goals to give their side a 3-17 to 1-9 lead with four minutes to go and they hit a fourth goal moments later through Dave Bennett.

The game between De La Salle and Fourmilewater fixed for Sunday afternoon last in Fraher Field was called off following the tragic death of sixteen year old Fergus Condon who was buried after mass in Fourmilewater this afternoon. Fergus was a sub for The Nire in their recent County Minor Football defeat to Dungarvan at Fraher Field.  The game will now take place on Tuesday evening in Fraher Field at 7-45pm.