Sarsfields’ reign as Munster club hurling champions was ended on Sunday afternoon as Ballygunner powered to victory.
Though Walsh Park now carries the naming rights of Azzurri, it was not a day for the blues, who fell 14 points at one stage in the first half. They did battle come to come within five early in the second period but a pair of goals put the Waterford champions back in control and a final winning margin is informed by Sars scoring seven of the last nine points as the game petered out.
It was far from the 17-point beating of two years previously at the same venue – the Gunners have not lost here in a decade – but unfortunately for Sars they couldn’t make it enough like last year’s provincial final win in Thurles.
While Ballygunner opened with a pair of Pauric Mahony frees, Colm McCarthy’s sixth-minute reply for Sars suggested a closer encounter than two years ago. However, between that and their next point on the quarter-hour mark, they were hit for an unanswered 2-4.
The lead had grown to 0-4 to 0-1 by the ninth minute when Philip Mahony found his brother Kevin – his delivery was batted away by goalkeeper Ben Graham but unfortunately only as far as Dessie Hutchinson, whose finish was clinical.
Patrick Fitzgerald of Ballygunner celebrates after scoring his side’s third goal. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Sars almost had an immediate response as Barry O’Flynn tested Stephen O’Keeffe but, after another Mahony free, Ballygunner struck again. Once more it was Hutchinson doing the damage, but his task was made easier as a Patrick Fitzgerald sideline cut was not dealt with.
Fitzgerald himself went close to another, firing wide but with advantage, Mahony converting the lead for a 2-8 to 0-2 lead.
With Philip Mahony dominant at centre-back and another brother, Michael, highly effective in a roving centre-forward role, the lead morphed further, growing to 2-11 to 0-3 by the 25th minute before Sars finished the half well.
After a Colm McCarthy free, Cian Darcy won a Ballygunner puckout and fed Daniel Kearney, who in turn found Jack O’Connor and his pass gave Daniel Hogan an avenue towards goal. There was still plenty to do but he showed incredible stickwork to create space and calmly slot to the net.
Hogan added a free after O’Flynn had been fouled by O’Keeffe – the kind that would yield a black card and penalty at inter-county level – and James Sweeney, following a good catch from Darcy’s delivery, left it 2-11 to 1-6 at the half.
An eight-point deficit became a far-more-manageable five within a minute of the restart. McCarthy’s free from halfway fell short but Sweeney did well to keep the ball alive and when he poked across goal, Hogan was there at the back post. Unfortunately, it was as close as they came.
After the flawless Pauric Mahony and O’Flynn exchanged points, Ballygunner got their third goal as Hutchinson, from Paddy Leavey’s pass, was allowed to weave through the defence too easily before finishing to the net.
Daniel Hogan scores his and Sarsfields’ second goal. Picture: Inpho/Tom O’Hanlon
Good defending from Cillian Roche prevented Hutchinson from getting his hat-trick but a fourth Ballygunner goal wasn’t long in coming: Kevin Mahony provided it, a brilliant individual effort.
That made it 4-13 to 2-8 with 21 minutes left. While Sars never threw in the towel and did eat into the deficit in the closing stages, it was never going to be overhauled.
Pauric Mahony 0-10 (0-9 f, 0-1 65), D Hutchinson 2-1, P Fitzgerald 1-2 (0-1 f), K Mahony 1-1, M Mahony, M Hartley 0-2 each.
D Hogan 2-3f (0-2 f), C McCarthy 0-5 (0-3 f), J Sweeney 0-4, B O’Flynn 0-2, C O’Sullivan, L Elliott, B Graham (0-1 f) 0-1 each.
S O’Keeffe; A O’Neill, T Foley, I Kenny; H Ruddle, Philip Mahony, R Power; C Sheahan, P Leavey; Pauric Mahony, M Mahony, P Hogan; K Mahony, D Hutchinson, P Fitzgerald.
M Hartley for Pauric Mahony (49), C Tobin for Sheahan (54), E O’Brien for Power, E Cuddihy for Fitzgerald (both 60+1).
B Graham; C O’Sullivan, C Roche, D English; L Elliott, C Leahy, B Murphy; D Kearney, K Murphy; J O’Connor, C Darcy, D Hogan; B O’Flynn, J Sweeney, C McCarthy.
E Murphy for Roche (37), B Nodwell for B Murphy (42), S O’Regan for Kearney (45), L Hackett for K Murphy (58).
A Tierney (Tipperary).
