Ballygunner (Waterford) 3-20 Kilmallock (Limerick) 1-12
Ballygunner lit up a dreary afternoon with a dazzling display of teamwork to claim their third Munster club hurling title at a misty, but calm Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Sunday.
In doing so the Waterford champions finally put the disappointment of leaving the 2019 version behind them and they set the record straight in a most emphatic manner.
Few, if any, could have predicted such a lop-sided contest but Kilmallock simply had no answer to the class and silky skills of their opponents, appearing in their fifth final in seven years.
Ballygunner had heroes everywhere from joint-captains Barry Coughlan and Philip Mahony in defence, the tireless Conor Sheehan and Paddy Leavey at midfield to Dessie Hutchinson in a star-studded attack.
The outcome was decided long before the end after Ballygunner turned a nine-point half-time lead into a whopping 3-14 to 0-6 advantage by the 40th minute.
The two goals early in the second half knocked whatever bit of life was left in the Kilmallock challenge.
Kevin Mahony went full stretch to turn in the second goal after 35 minutes, when a Pauric Mahony free broke on the edge of the square.
Goal number three stemmed from an unusual source as cornerback Tadhg Foley’s blistering shot was saved by keeper Barry Hennessy only for Billy O’Keeffe to slam in the rebound.
From there it was damage limitation for the Limerick champions who just about avoided a record final defeat.
They kept battling to the bitter end, substitute Conor Hanley firing in a goal from a free as the game entered injury time, having been frustrated by ‘keeper Stephen O’Keeffe on a couple of earlier occasions.
In the first half Kilmallock actually settled quickly, Graeme Mulcahy and Robbie Hanley pointing in the opening two minutes, but they wouldn’t score again for 14 minutes as Ballygunner gained control.
They fired 1-6 without response to underline their superiority all over the pitch with Hutchinson powering in an important goal in the 10th minute.
Paurice Mahony’s influence extended beyond his marksmanship from placed balls as it was his ball in from the right which fell kindly for Hutchinson to score with a low close-range drive.
And he almost added a second a couple of minutes later only to be denied by a brilliant save from Kilmallock ‘keeper Hennessy, who dived to his left to turn the shot around the post for a ‘65, which Mahony converted for a 1-4 to 0-2 lead.
Mikey Mahony fired over a super score moments later and when Mahony landed another free, Ballygunner’s advantage increased to seven, 1-6 to 0-2.
And while Kevin O’Driscoll and Micheal Houlihan, with a beauty, replied for Kilmallock either side of the water-break, the pattern continued as Ballygunner surged 1-11 to 0-5 clear at the interval.
Their closing point in added time reflected their awesome display, the ball worked from defence through Conor Sheehan in midfield and his deft hand pass yielded a brilliant Peter Hogan point.
And they maintained that level of performance on the change of ends to deservedly be crowned champions.
Ballygunner: S O'Keeffe; I Kenny, B Coughlan, T Foley; S O'Sullivan, Philip Mahony, R Power; C Sheehan, P Leavey (0-2); D Hutchinson (1-5), M Mahony (0-1), P Hogan (0-2); B O'Keeffe (1-3), K Mahony (1-0), Pauric Mahony (0-7, 4 frees, 1 '65).
Subs: C Power for Hogan (53 mins), E Hayden for O'Sullivn (55 mins), H Ruddle for B O'Keeffe (57 mins), B O'Sullivan for Pauric Mahony and J Foley for Hutchinson (59 mins),
Kilmallock: B Hennessy; L English, M O'Loughlin, D Joy; P O'Loughlin, C O'Connor (0-1), P O'Brien; R Hanley (0-1), A Costello (0-1); M Houlihan (0-1), O O'Reilly (0-1), D Woulfe; G Mulcahy (0-1), G O'Mahony, K O'Donnell (0-3 all frees).
Subs: P O'Loughlin for Houlihan (injured, 25 mins), C Hanley (1-1, 1-0 free) for O'Loughlin (half-time), R Egan for O'Mahony and P O'Reilly (0-1) for Woulfe (43 mins), K Hayes (0-1) for Costello (50 mins).
Referee: C Lyons (Cork).
