Impressive Gunner’s advance to Munster Final

Ballygunner advanced to this years Munster Senior Club hurling final following a 0-19 to 1-9 win over Glen Rovers at Walsh Park on Sunday afternoon.

The Gunners put in a magnificent second half as they outscored the Cork side 0-16 to 1-1.

The Glen travelled to Walsh Park having won their first title on Lee-side in 26 years recently with the favourites tag around their neck but favourites even in a two horse race don’t always win and on a ground that is so familiar to Ballygunner they made the return to Cork after the game with their interested in this years competition well and truly over.

With Pauric Mahony absent for Ballygunner from the start in all but one game this year following the injury he sustained back in May Brian O’Sullivan has taken over the mantel of the sides main free taker and he has not disappointed as he has proved a more than able deputy and finished this game with nine points behind his name on the scoresheet, all but one of which came from placed balls.

For Glen Rovers Patrick Horgan was their scorer in chief finishing the game with 1-5, 0-4 of which came from placed balls and while they had four other players that got their name on the score sheet at this level of hurling, they would need more players to clock up higher tallies if you are to be successful.

Both sides ended the game with a man less than they started the game with as Philip Mahony and Dean Brosnan were both sent off on a straight red card by referee Johnny Murphy following a flare up on 20 minutes under the stand.

At this stage it was the Cork side that were 0-3 to 0-2 in front after Patrick Horgan and Peter Hogan both put over two points each for their respective sides with Gavin Moylan hitting the Glen’s middle score.

After the game restarted it was the Cork side that proved to be the better of the two sides in the difficult conditions played on a field that was only deemed playable about an hour before throw in following heavy rain in the hours leading up to the game.

Patrick Hogan put over a brace of scores to give his side a three point (0-5 to 0-2) lead before Graham Callanan and Conor Dorris extended it to five. Brian O’Sullivan pulled a point back for Ballygunner but before the break David Cunningham pointed once more for Glen Rovers to give them and 0-8 to 0-3 lead at the short whistle having played with the advantage of the wind at their backs in those opening thirty minutes.

While the first half for much of it proved to be a one way traffic situation, there can be no disputing that the game was won and lost in the third quarter as it was in this period that the Waterford champions hit ten points in a row to sail into a 0-13 to 0-8 lead.

Brian O’Sullivan in this time did the bulk of the scoring for his side as he hit five of the ten points with Harley Barnes, Shane O’Sullivan, Tim O’Sullivan Billy O’Sullivan and Stephen Power from a ’65 all got their names on the score sheet.

Trailing 0-13 to 0-8 having turn around with a 0-8 to 0-3 lead Glen Rovers rececieved a boost eleven minutes from time when a Dave Noonan sideline cut was connected to with the stick of Patrick Horgan who beat Stephen O’Keeffe with the only goal of the game with a suburb strike to draw the visiting side to Walsh Park to within two of Ballygunner.

But as sometimes happens, the goal failed to ignite Glen Rovers as The Gunners hit the next five points in a row, three from Brian O’Sullivan and once each from Shane O’Sullivan and Stephen Power who had come into the game for Peter Hogan who hit the first two points for the winners after just fourteen minutes.

Glen Rovers top tallies man Patrick Horgan hit his sides last score of the game to draw his side to within six of Ballygunner who managed to stretched their lead by one with a late point from Conor Sheehan.

Ballygunner: Stephen O’Keeffe; Eddie Hayden, Barry Coughlan, Ian Kenny; Shane Walsh, David O’Sullivan, Philip Mahony; Billy O’Keeffe, Harley Barnes; Conor Power, Shane O’Sullivan, Barry O’Sullivan; Tim O’Sullivan, Brian O’Sullivan, Peter Hogan. Subs: Stephen Power for Peter Hogan (14), JJ Hutchinson for Tim O’Sullivan (45), Sean O’Sullivan for Conor Power (58), Conor Sheehan for Billy O’Keeffe (60).

Scorers: Brian O’Sullivan 0-9 (7fs, 1 65’), Stephen Power (1 65’), Peter Hogan, Shane O’Sullivan 0-2 each, Harley Barnes, Billy O’Keeffe, Tim O’Sullivan, Conor Sheehan 0-1 each.

Glen Rovers: Cathal Hickey; Ben Murphy, David Dooling, Stephen McDonnell; Gavin Moylan, Brian Moylan, Graham Callanan; Donal Cronin, Dave Noonan; Dean Brosnan, Patrick Horgan, David Cunningham; Conor Dorris, Brian Phelan, David Busteed. Subs; Adam O’Donovan for Brian Phelan (47), Liam Coughlan for David Busteed (52), Glenn Kennefick for Conor Dorris (58).

Scorers: Patrick Horgan 1-5 (3fs, 1 65’), Gavin Moylan, Graham Callanan, Conor Dorris, David Cunningham 0-1 each.

Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick).