Ballygunner make it 10 on the trot with win over De La Salle
BALLYGUNNER 2-26 DE LA SALLE 0-21
Brilliant Ballygunner are toasting a record 10th consecutive Waterford senior hurling championship, eclipsing the previous nine-in-a-row records of Erins Own and Mount Sion.
De La Salle were no match for Darragh O’Sullivan’s side in Walsh Park as the club extended their winning record in the competition to 53 games.
Up 2-12 to 0-10 at half-time, Ballygunner stretched the margin to 11 points nine minutes into the second half when Kevin Mahony was really making his presence felt.
De La Salle brought it back to eight points in the 47th minute but their deficit was back to double digits minutes later and the game as a contest was lost.
De La Salle were keeping pace in the opening 10 minutes but the scores were coming easier to Ballygunner and by the 12th minute they had opened up a three-point lead. Reuben Halloran was leading the line for De La Salle but in the other half Peter Hogan was either popping up for scores or winning frees.
A 17th-minute Halloran free sliced the margin to two points but it was four in less than a couple of minutes as Kevin Mahony opened his ledger and Pauric Mahony punished a third foul on Hogan.
Two Halloran points from play made it a two-point game once more before Hogan struck for his 24th minute goal. From a puck-out, Kevin Mahony made the most of his marker’s fall and fed Hogan who bulged the net.
The gap was five in the 28th minute when Dessie Hutchinson was set free with only Shaun O’Brien to beat but the Waterford goalkeeper managed to keep him out. However, De La Salle couldn’t clear their lines and after flicking a ball over Jake Dillon’s head Pauric Mahony took receipt of it to make no mistake with his goal opportunity.
As Hutchinson added a third point, Ballygunner’s advantage stretched to nine points prior to Halloran converting a 65 before the interval.
Scorers for Ballygunner: Pauric Mahony (1-8, 0-6 frees); P. Hogan (1-2); K. Mahony (0-5); D. Hutchinson, C. Sheahan (0-3 each); P. Fitzgerald, M. Mahony (0-2 each); P. Leavey (0-1).
Scorers for De La Salle: R. Halloran (0-12, 7 frees, 1 65); T. Douglas (0-4); E. Barrett (0-3); J. Dillon, C. Keane (0-1 each).
BALLYGUNNER: S. O’Keeffe (j-c); T. Foley, B. Coughlan, I. Kenny ; H. Ruddle, S. O ‘Sullivan, Philip Mahony (j-c); C. Sheahan, P. Leavey; P. Hogan, Pauric Mahony, M. Mahony; D. Hutchinson, K. Mahony, P. Fitzgerald.
Subs for Ballygunner: R. Power for H. Ruddle (51); J. Foley for P. Hogan (54); B. O’Keeffe for I. Kenny (56); R. Duke for C. McCann (60).
DE LA SALLE: S. O’Brien; D. Lalor, A. Farrell, C. Keane; L. Dwyer, J. Dillon, E. Barrett (c); J. Fagan. S. Carton; R. Halloran, E. Meaney, J. Twomey; T. Douglas, K. Moran, C. McCann.
Subs for De La Salle: B. Cunningham for E. Meaney (41); T. Moran for L. Dwyer (inj 45); C. Morris for S. Carton, K. O’Sullivan for D. Lalor (both 57); S. Harney for T. Foley (60).
Referee: N. Barry (Passage).
