Gunner’s March On

Ballygunner are through to an eight Munster Senior Club Final where they will take on Limerick champions Na Piarsaigh in a repeat of the 2015 final which the Limerick side won on a 2-18 to 2-11 score line in Thurles, after the Limerick side today easily accounted for Cork champions Blackrock in the Gaelic Grounds on a 2-26 to 0-10 score line.

This game was the Gunner’s eight in the last eight weeks and there is bound to have some amongst the crowd of just under 2,500 that were wondering was it a step too far for Fergal Hartley’s charges as at the break in this game they found themselves five points down, but the Waterford city side were able to turn things around and with 56 minutes on the clock they found themselves locked together 0-16 apiece and the game was looking as if extra time was going to be needed at Walsh Park for the second week in a row to decide which team would advance to this year’s championship decider.

It was the visiting side that opened the scoring in this game with a Jamie Shanahan free. In a tight opening quarter to this game, both sides went tit-for-tat at each other and with ten minutes showing on the clock it was the Clare Champions that held a slender 0-3 to 0-2 lead.

Pauric Mahony was keeping the scoreboard ticking over for Ballygunner with a string of successful frees, but Ballygunner still found themselves trailing at the midpoint in the first half (0-5 to 0-4).

Derek Fahy in the Sixmilebridge goal did well to keep Conor Power from having a green flag waved on 19 minutes, putting the sliotar out for a ’65 which Ballygunner failed to convert from. Jamie Shanahan from a free and Shane O’Sullivan traded scores before Alan Mulready sent the Clare side two in front after which Pauric Mahony and Jamie Shanahan swapped scores to give the Clare side a 0-8 to 0-6 advantage with six minutes of the first half remaining.

The visitors in the time that remained in the first half pressed on and went to the dressing rooms with an 0-11 to 0-6 advantage on the score board as Jamie Shanahan knocked over two more placed balls while Alan Gilligan also found the range just before the break.

Ballygunner started the second half brightly with a series of points and with nine minutes of the second half played they had levelled matters.

Stephen O’Keeffe did well to keep a Shane Golden shot from reaching the back of his net, but from the rebound Cathal Malone pointed to put his side back in front but Pauric Mahony pointed again on 44 minutes to level matters at 13 points each.

Billy O’Keeffe, Brian Corry Jamie Shanahan and Pauric Mahony all swapped scores to keep the sides level. Pauric Mahony and Jamie Shanahan swapped scores to level matters with less than four minutes of the hour remaining. 

JJ Hutchinson made a hero’s name for himself with two minutes to go when he crashed home a loose ball and when Billy O’Keeffe followed up with a point things were looking very good for the Waterford champions.

But there was still squeaky bum time for Ballygunner as Séadna Morey broke up field to finish past Stephen O’Keeffe to leave Ballygunner in front by the minimum, but before the Clare side had a chance to have another attempt to level matters, County Limerick referee Johnny Murphy blew his full time whistle.

Ballygunner: Stephen O’Keeffe; Eddie Hayden, Barry Coughlan, Ian Kenny; Wayne Hutchinson, Philip Mahony, Shane Walsh; Harley Barnes, Shane O’Sullivan; David O’Sullivan, Pauric Mahony, Billy O’Keeffe; Conor Power, JJ Hutchinson, Peter Hogan. Subs: Barry O’Sullivan for Shane Walsh (42), David Walsh for Hogan (60)

Scorers: Pauric Mahony 0-11 (9fs, 1 65’), JJ Hutchinson 1-3, Billy O’Keeffe 0-3, Shane O’Sullivan 0-1.

Sixmilebridge: Derek Fahy; Noel Purcell, Séadna Morey, Barry Fitzpatrick; Caimin Morey, Aidan Quilligan, Evan McInerney;  Jamie Shanahan, Conor Deasy; Cathal Malone, Niall Gilligan, Shane Golden; Brian Corry, Alex Morey, Alan Mulready. Subs: Kevin Lynch for Alan Mulready (55), Brian Carey for Evan McInerney (58).

Scorers: Jamie Shanahan 0-9 (6fs), Séadna Morey 1-0, Niall Gilligan 0-2, Conor Deasy, Cathal Malone, Alex Morey, Brian Corry, Shane Golden, Alan Mulready 0-1 each.

Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)