Ballygunner 2-11
Loughmore-Castleiney 0-12
A WILD WINTER’S afternoon in Dungarvan culminated with Ballygunner surviving a Munster club semi-final test as Loughmore-Castleiney’s remarkable season came to a close, Noel and John McGrath both shown red cards during a dramatic game.
The opening half was dominated by the 24th minute departure of Noel McGrath from the action, a red card brandished in his direction for an off-the-ball incident with Ballygunner’s Paddy Leavey. TV replays suggested the severity of the sanction was harsh, his loss a major blow to the Tipperary champions.
Then in the 53rd minute, his younger brother John saw red. That was a costly loss for the Tipperary champions, he received a second yellow for a challenge on Barry Coughlan. It occurred moments after McGrath had been fouled for a penalty, that decision then overturned as the ball was thrown in.
Ballygunner got the job done, pouncing for crucial goals in either half from Kevin and Mikey Mahony, while Dessie Hutchinson was in stunning form as he clipped over five points from play.
After the Noel McGrath dismissal, Loughmore-Castleiney hurled superbly until the break, outscoring Ballygunner by 0-5 to 0-2 as they displayed immmense work-rate, had John McGrath in prolific form from frees and midfielder Ciaran Connolly impacting with a brace of points.
It was an unwelcoming December afternoon for hurling, the floodlights switched on before throw-in as a gale blew down the field at the Dungarvan venue. Those elements favoured Ballygunner early on, a factor in the 1-5 to 0-1 lead they engineered after the first quarter.
The conditions were not the sole contributory reason for their dominance, the excellent deliveries from the likes of Shane O’Sullivan yielded three points from play by the electric Dessie Hutchinson early on.
They also fashioned a 7th minute goal from Kevin Mahony after he was picked out in space by Paddy Leavey and finished from close-range.
That setback for Loughmore was compounded by the goal chances they created that did not prompt a green flag to be raised. Twice John McGrath unleashed shots, the first off his right and the second a left-handed whip under pressure, but on both occasions Stephen O’Keeffe’s reflexes and alertness were top-class as he produced saves.
It was 1-8 to 0-9 in favour of Ballygunner at the interval but Loughmore channelled their momentum successfully in the second with a couple of wonderful points by Ed Connolly and Tommy Maher cutting the gap to one.
Ballygunner’s prospects were hit when Stephen O’Keeffe drilled a penalty low and wide, awarded after the dashing Hutchinson was taken down by John Ryan in the 37th minute.
But three minutes later they did find the net when Hutchinson created the space for Mikey Mahony to whip home. It was a well-created and executed goal, albeit Loughmore had cause for complaint that what looked like a foul in the build-up escaped censure.
Ballygunner were able to dig in from here, packing their defence with bodies and having attacking outlets in Hutchinson and Peter Hogan. Loughmore kept fighting to the bitter end but the John McGrath dismissal was a setback too great to absorb.
Scorers for Ballygunner: Dessie Hutchinson 0-5, Kevin Mahony 1-1, Mike Mahony 1-0, Peter Hogan, Pauric Mahony (0-2f) 0-2 each, Billy O’Keeffe 0-1.
Scorers for Loughmore-Castleiney: John McGrath 0-7 (0-7f), Ciaran Connolly 0-3, Ed Connolly, Tommy Maher 0-1 each.
Ballygunner
1. Stephen O’Keeffe
4. Tadhg Foley, 3. Barry Coughlan, 2. Ian Kenny
6. Philip Mahony
7. Ronan Power, 9. Paddy Leavey, 5. Shane O’Sullivan
8. Conor Sheahan, 15. Pauric Mahony
12. Peter Hogan, 11. Mikey Mahony, 13. Billy O’Keeffe
10. Dessie Hutchinson, 14. Kevin Mahony
Subs
19. Barry O’Sullivan for Billy O’Keeffe (51)
24. Darragh O’Keeffe for Shane O’Sullivan (58)
17. Harry Ruddle for Hogan (60)
Loughmore-Castleiney
1. Aidan McGrath
17. John Ryan, 3. Joey Hennessy, 4. Lorcan Egan
5. Tommy Maher, 6. John Meagher, 7. Brian McGrath
8. Ciaran Connolly, 9. Tomás McGrath
13. Ed Connolly, 14. Evan Sweeney, 11. Liam McGrath
20. Ciaran McGrath, 12. Noel McGrath, 15. John McGrath
Subs
19. Ciaran McCormack for Ciaran McGrath (43)
21. Anthony Ryan for Connolly (55)
24. Shane Hennessy for Maher (58)
18. Conor McGrath for Sweeney (61)
Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)
