Na Piarsaigh 0-15 Ballygunner 0-18
This wasn't vintage Ballygunner, but it was the same result. For the seventh consecutive year, the Waterford kingpins knocked out the Limerick champions. For the fourth season in succession, they managed to do so at the Gaelic Grounds.
Na Piarsaigh created more for long stretches, but took 52 minutes to eke out their first, and only, lead in front of 2,867 fans.
However, the Gunners got more bodies behind the ball and exploited the space created to slot five of the last six points.
They will have home advantage for a semi-final against Cork and Munster champions Sarsfields, which forms a rematch of last year’s provincial decider.
Both sides were without big-name stars. Pauric Mahony missed out for Ballygunner. Mark Hartley, who led the Gunners to county minor and premier intermediate titles in August, came in for his first senior start.
William O’Donoghue sat out for Na Piarsaigh, who drafted in county-final hero Conor Boylan for his first start of the season.
The first half was a tetchy affair, pockmarked by missed chances. Na Piarsaigh had 10 misses inside 20 minutes, including a pair of Kevin Downes frees. Dessie Hutchinson struck three frees wide at the other end.
Hutchinson also had a first-minute goal chance blocked by Jerome Boylan’s foot, while Downes almost capitalised on a couple of shots dropped short. One ricocheted wide after being batted out by Stephen O’Keeffe, the second was smothered by Tadhg Foley, and a third was bottled up by Aaron O’Neill.
Ballygunner’s greater efficiency gave them a three-point head start, through a Hutchinson 65, man-of-the-match Harry Ruddle, and Hartley.
Peter Casey led Na Piarsaigh’s response with a pair, either side of Ruddle’s second overlapping point from wing-back.
Adrian Breen and Ronan Lynch’s long-range free levelled at 0-05 apiece before Ballygunner closed out with the final trio through a Hutchinson free, Hartley, and Michael Mahony. They led 0-08 to 0-05 at half-time.
When Patrick Fitzgerald opened the second-half scoring before intercepting the subsequent puck-out for a Michael Mahony point, their lead was double-scores.
They were only playing in fits, though. Three in a row from Tommy Grimes, Downes, and Conor Boylan got Piarsaigh within one. When Downes converted his next two frees, they were level for a second time at 0-12 apiece.
Paddy Leavey twice drew turnover frees for Hutchinson. He slotted the first, but Shane Dowling brought down the second from above the crossbar.
Piarsaigh punished the latter miss with a long-range Ronan Lynch free. That 52nd-minute score provided their first lead.
From there, Ballygunner rose their game. Ruddle’s third and Hutchinson’s first from play pushed them back ahead.
Peter Casey levelled, but Peter Hogan, Conor Tobin, and Patrick Fitzgerald’s 65, after Tobin was denied a goal chance by Vince Harrington, eased them three ahead. That was enough.
Ballygunner: S O’Keeffe; I Kenny, T Foley, A O’Neill; H Ruddle (0-03), Philip Mahony, R Power; C Sheahan, P Leavey; P Hogan (0-01), M Mahony (0-02), D Hutchinson (0-05, 3f, 1 65); M Hartley (0-02), P Fitzgerald (0-04, 1 65), K Mahony.
Subs: C Power for Sheahan (49'), C Tobin (0-01) for Hartley (53').
Na Piarsaigh: S Dowling; J Boylan, V Harrington, R Lynch (0-03, 3f); E McEvoy, M Casey, M Foley; JJ Carey, T Grimes (0-01); W Henn, P Casey (0-03), D Dempsey; K Downes (0-06, 4f, 1 65), C Boylan (0-01), A Breen (0-01).
Subs: K Dempsey for Henn (41'), J Finn for Foley (43'), D Lynch for Breen (46'), E Brosnan for Grimes (54'), W Kearns for Carey (59').
Referee: N Malone.
