Ballyhale put Ballygunner to the sword and march into All-Ireland club final

BALLYHALE are just one match away from being crowned All-Ireland senior club hurling champions for the seventh time.

They’ve already won the crown six times, but now King Henry Shefflin’s talented young guns have a chance to go one better in  Croke Park next month after they put Ballygunner to the sword this evening.

In the end, the Kilkenny club’s sharpshooters proved too hot for their Waterford opponents..

Both sides’ forwards dominated the scoring stakes in the first quarter. Ballygunner’s Pauric Mahony had edged TJ Reid in that sector by 0-4 to 0-2 with Reid’s 14th minute score the only point that did not originate from a placed ball.

No one else managed to put their name on the scoresheet until Evan Shefflin smashed over a 17th minute score from his wing-back berth and had to wait until an award from Hawk-Eye before the point stood.

It was a tight and tense opening period with both defences restricting the space afforded to the respective attacks. Mahony despatched a free from distance in first-half injury-time to leave Ballygunner clinging to a narrow advantage, 0-8 to 0-7, at the break.

Ballyhale Shamrocks

1. Dean Mason; 2. Darren Mullen; 3. Joey Holden; 4. Brian Butler; 5. Evan Shefflin; 6. Michael Fennelly (captain); 7. Richie Reid; 8. Ronan Corcoran; 22. Patrick Mullen; 10. Brian Cody; 11. TJ Reid; 12. Adrian Mullen; 13. Eoin Reid; 14. Colin Fennelly; 15. Eoin Cody

Subs
18. Conor Phelan for Butler (inj) (13)
23. Mark Aylward for Brian Cody (half-time)
9. Conor Walsh for Phelan (53)
24. Joseph Cuddihy for Eoin Reid (57)
19. Gavin Butler for Corcoran (63)

Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork)

Ballygunner

1. Stephen O’Keeffe (joint captain); 2. Eddie Hayden; 3. Barry Coughlan; 4. Ian Kenny; 6. Wayne Hutchinson; 5. Philip Mahony; 8. Harley Barnes; 7. Billy O’Keeffe; 9. Shane O’Sullivan (joint captain); 11. Peter Hogan; 10. Pauric Mahony; 12. Mikey Mahony; 15. Conor Power; 13. Tim O’Sullivan; 14. Brian O’Sullivan.

Subs
30. David O’Sullivan for Hayden (half-time)
17. Barry O’Sullivan for Tim O’Sullivan (46)
18. JJ Hutchinson for Billy O’Keeffe (56)