skip to main content

Ballygunner turn sights to 'massive' Na Piarsaigh clash

Ballygunner's Conor Sheehan is pursued by Daniel Kearney of Sarsfields in heavy rain at Walsh Park
Ballygunner's Conor Sheehan is pursued by Daniel Kearney of Sarsfields in heavy rain at Walsh Park

Munster champions Ballygunner are relishing the prospect of another provincial semi-final showdown with Na Piarsaigh after easing past Sarsfields of Cork.

The 10-in-a-row Waterford champions are aiming to become the first club to lift three successive Munster SHC crowns but to do so they must get past the Limerick kingpins, who beat them in the 2017 decider.

The Gunners turned the tables in the '18 final and in the semi-final last year.

"It’s a massive game," former county goalkeeper Stephen O’Keeffe told RTÉ Sport. "We all know how good they are.

"We have to go up to the Gaelic Grounds as well. We were there last year and had a massive battle.

"But these are the games you train for. It’s exciting even though we know how hard a challenge it’s going to be."

Ballygunner forward Dessie Hutchinson added: "They’re going to come with everything they have and we’re going to come with everything we have and it’s going to make for a great game."

In their first competitive game since September, the Waterford city side had 17 points to spare over Cork champions Sarsfields at Walsh Park on Sunday.

However, O’Keeffe felt the 2-20 to 0-09 was heavily influenced by conditions.

"Delighted with the win," he said. "There’s always a bit of uncertainty with the eight-week break that you might come in a bit rusty.

"But we got the pitch of it right thankfully and towards the end we managed to tack on a few scores. It [the scoreline] probably didn’t do the game justice.

"The downpour in the second half had a big impact and probably negated the strong wind advantage Sars would have had. It made conditions very bad and both sides had to slog it out a bit.

"We had the advantage of the wind to its full effect in the first half. It was probably a six or seven-point wind. I think that made a big difference."

Watch the Ulster Club Football Championship quarter-final, Trillick v Crossmaglen, on Saturday from 7pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player

Read Next