Ballygunner produced the last three points at TUS Gaelic Grounds to confirm a repeat of last year’s Munster final in a semi-final against Sarsfields in two weeks’s time.
A crowd of 2,667 took in a match that only came to life in the closing quarter. A Kevin Downes’ free in the 45th minute levelled this quarter-final for the first time since the 23rd minute.
In between, Ballygunner had led by three at half-time – 0-8 to 0-5 – and by as much as five a couple of minutes into the second half as Patrick Fitzgerald stormed into the affair.
Shane O’Neill wasn’t slow to make changes but Daithi Dempsey and Downes were growing into it. The home side went ahead for the first time through a Ronan Lynch free in the 42nd minute.
It was short-lived. Harry Ruddle and Dessie Hutchinson fired back and while Peter Casey showed great dexterity to equalize in the 55th minute the next three scores were supplied by Ballygunner.
Peter Hogan had the time and space to score his first point, substitute Conor Tobin made his first contribution count and he then forced a 65 which Fitzgerald converted. Na Piarsaigh had run out of ideas.
JJ Carey of Na Piarsaigh in action against Paddy Leavy of Ballygunner during the AIB Munster GAA Hurling Senior Club Championship quarter-final match between Na Piarsaigh and Ballygunner at TUS Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
This had been a game that threatened to be defined by those who weren’t available. The talismanic Pauric Mahony had rolled an ankle and was missing from the Ballygunner attack as Na Piarsaigh’s inter-county midfielder William O’Donoghue who wasn’t togged out due to a hamstring problem.
After an insipid first half, it was a fixture in danger of being characterised by the number of missed scoring chances. By the break, Na Piarsaigh had accumulated seven wides and another four opportunities that either dropped short or hit the posts and Ballygunner had recorded six off target.
The concern for Ballygunner was Mahony’s metronomic free-taking would be missed and at half-time he had struck three placed balls either side of the posts. At the other end, Downes wasn’t much better with a return of just one from three.
Ballygunner never trailed in the opening period. A Hutchinson 65 and man of the match Ruddle inside the first four minutes set them on their way while Na Piarsaigh went close to a goal when Stephen O’Keeffe batted down a Peter Casey ball into Downes’s path but his split-second reaction tap went wide.
Starlet Mark Hartley, Mahony’s replacement, put Ballygunner three up in the 10th minute before Na Piarsaigh scored their opener via Casey from the resultant puck-out. Casey followed up Ruddle’s second point prior to another Na Piarsaigh goal opening. Again, it fell to Downes after Tommy Grimes had struck the post but Tadhg Foley responded sharply.
Scores by Adrian Breen and Ronan Lynch tied up the game for Na Piarsaigh by the 23rd minute but Ballygunner posted the remaining three scores of the game, often finding ample space on their right wing.
Hutchinson’s first free was followed by Hartley’s second after superb work by Kevin Mahony and his brother Michael rounded out the half with another white flag.
K. Downes (0-6, 4 frees, 1 65); R. Lynch (0-3, 2 frees); P. Casey (0-3); A. Breen, T. Grimes, C. Boylan (0-1 each).
D. Hutchinson ( 0-5, 3 frees, 1 65); P. Fitzgerald (0-4, 1 65); H. Ruddle (0-3); M. Hartley, M. Mahony (0-2 each); P. Hogan, C. Tobin (0-1 each).
S. Dowling; R. Lynch, V. Harrington, J. Boylan (c); E. McEvoy, M. Casey, M. Foley; J.J. Carey, T. Grimes; W. Henn, P. Casey, D. Dempsey; K. Downes, C. Boylan, A. Breen.
K. Dempsey for W. Henn (41); J. Finn for T. Foley (43); D. Lynch for A. Breen (46); E. Brosnan for T. Grimes (54); W. Kearns for J.J. Carey (59).
S. O’Keeffe; I. Kenny, T. Foley, A. O’Neill; H. Ruddle, P. Mahony, R. Power; C Sheahan, P. Leavey; D. Hutchinson, M. Mahony (j-c), P. Hogan (j-c); P. Fitzgerald, K. Mahony, M. Hartley.
C. Power for C. Sheahan (49); C. Tobin for M. Hartley (53).
N. Malone (Clare).
