Ballygunner 2-35 Mount Sion 1-16
Ballygunner produced one of their most impressive performances yet as they secured the Waterford Senior Hurling Championship title for the 12th year running - swatting aside Mount Sion with 22 points to spare at Walsh Park.
Pauric Mahony hit 0-11, Dessie Hutchinson notched 1-06 from play and Patrick Fitzgerald provided 1-03 as Jason Ryan's men now stand 66 games unbeaten in Waterford.
Going into the game, Ballygunner were seeking an unprecedented 12th successive News & Star Cup - while victory would have also seen them take their unbeaten record at county level to a whopping 66 games.
Mount Sion on the other hand found themselves on the verge of claiming the title for the first time since 2006 - something that would’ve once seemed unthinkable when they won four finals against the Gunners in the early 2000s.
Both sides found themselves back in the final by virtue of individual heroics last time out - Austin Gleeson for Mount Sion, Dessie Hutchison for Ballygunner - but this clash of titans promised to be far more than a two-man battle.
A superb score from PJ Fanning put Mount Sion ahead on just eight seconds, but from the first puckout - Stephen O’Keeffe’s long searching ball found Patrick Fitzgerald, he skinned Ben Flanagan and his effort was saved by Ian O’Regan - but who better than Dessie Hutchinson to bat home for his seventh goal of the championship, not even a minute played.
Austin Gleeson pointed two outstanding sideline cuts, one from the left, one from the right as Mount Sion tried to keep in touch - but one knew individual brilliance would have to be of a seismic proportion were they to hang on to Ballygunner’s coattails.
Ballygunner’s response to Gleeson’s brilliance was cruel and calculated - as they hit ten points without reply to end the game as quick as it began.
Conor Sheahan made no mistake in space, before the outstanding Pauric Mahony notched four on the spin - two dead balls and two from play, his last a superb piece of skill with his foot before scoring with ease.
Harry Ruddle, Peter Hogan and Fitzgerald then got in on the act, before two close range frees from Mahony had the scoreboard reading 1-11 to 0-3 from nowhere approaching the 20-minute mark.
Mount Sion did actually have the benefit of the breeze in the opening period, but nothing stuck - Martin O’Neill’s free was their first score in 13 minutes, and again the Ballygunner response was detrimental.
A first time blind pass from Mahony along the ground ran beautifully into the path of Fitzgerald, and once he got the sliotar in his hand - there was only one thing on his mind, belting home from close range to say goodnight Mount Sion on 22 minutes. 2-11 to 0-4.
A superb individual run and point from Aaron O’Neill further emphasised the dominance but Jamie Gleeson and Stephen Roche kept the Mount Sion scores ticking over. PJ Fanning also played well in vein, pointing again - but twice Peter Hogan ran off the back of Austin Gleeson, and twice the white flag went flying.
Four successive scores from the electrifying Gunners brought it to half time - a 'Brick flick’ from Pauric Mahony, a Patrick Fitzgerald strike from an almost impossible angle, another from Fitzgerald when found by Hogan and a rasper from Ronan Power. 2-19 by half time, this was Ballygunner at their brilliant best.
The seven-time Munster champions showed no signs of stopping at the beginning of the second period - hitting another four on the spin. Power, Eoin Cuddihy and two Dessie Hutchinson strikes poured more misery upon Mount Sion - who to their credit competed much better after the break, but the contest was long over.
Stephen Roche and PJ Fanning knocked over more consolations, before three more from the ruthless Gunners - Cuddihy began to exert his influence, Pauric Mahony nailed another fine effort and Hutchinson turned over Roche before punching the air when splitting the posts. This was vintage Ballygunner.
Austin Gleeson and Stephen Roche again attempted to get something going - but young Cuddihy’s third of the afternoon was another example of the gulf in class. John Kennedy, Jamie Gleeson and Alan Kirwan found the radar for Mount Sion but Conor Sheahan (2), Conor Tobin and three from Hutchinson - who was everywhere in the second period - again proved their scourge.
There was time for a consolation goal as Austin Gleeson’s free was blocked on the line but substitute Jack Meaney was on hand to bundle home - but Tobin scored the last point to make it 41 for the Gunners.
Their dominance of the Déise shows no signs of stopping. Ballygunner have now won the last two finals in Waterford with an average winning margin of 20 points.
12 titles and counting, and Munster rivals will be shaking following this statement of intent.
Ballygunner: Stephen O’Keeffe; Aaron O’Neill (0-1), Ian Kenny, Tadhg Foley; Harry Ruddle (0-1), Philip Mahony, Ronan Power (0-2); Conor Sheahan (0-3), Paddy Leavey; Dessie Hutchinson (1-6), Mikey Mahony, Peter Hogan (0-3); Patrick Fitzgerald (1-3), Kevin Mahony, Pauric Mahony (0-11; 0-7f).
Subs: Eoin Cuddihy (0-3) for Kevin Mahony (4); Conor Tobin (0-2) for Pauric Mahony (47); Eoin O’Brien for Ian Kenny (51); Cormac Power for Peter Hogan (53); Jake Foley for Patrick Fitzgerald (54); Billy O’Keeffe for Mikey Mahony (blood)
Mount Sion: Ian O’Regan; Stephen O’Neill, Luke O’Brien, Ben Flanagan; Martin F O’Neill, Austin Gleeson (0-3; 0-2 sdl), Gavin Power; Jamie Gleeson (0-2) , PJ Fanning (0-3); Martin O’Neill (0-4; 0-4f), Stephen Roche (0-2), Jamie Meaney; Adam Regan, Mikey Daykin, John Kennedy (0-1)
Subs: Evan Curran for Ben Flanagan (24); Alan Kirwan (0-1) for Martin F O’Neill (HT); Tadhg Corcoran for Gavin Power (42); Jack Meaney (1-0) for Jamie Meaney (47); Donal Power for Adam Regan (53)
Referee: Alan Kissane (Dunhill)
