De La Salle 1-20
Mount Sion 1-16

Tomas McCarthy reports from Walsh Park

WATERFORD SENIOR SHANE McNulty gave a defensive masterclass and full forward Thomas Douglas struck 1-3 as De Salle emerged from a thrilling city tussle with Mount Sion in this evening’s county semi-final.

The Gracedieu outfit, managed by former Munster medallist Brian Phelan, got seven of the last eight points with the wind assistance to make their second final in three seasons. They were tied on nine occasions but six unanswered points in the last quarter saw Salle pull away.

2016 hurler of the year Austin Gleeson shot five points for Sion (four from play). Recently retired county keeper Ian O’Regan made two wonder saves. It was 1-11 apiece after a cracking first half between these great Eastern rivals. The sides were level seven times.

In an electric start, a Cormac McCann solo run set up Douglas who shot to the top corner after just 22 seconds. Sion reeled off seven of the next nine points however, three from free-taker Evan McGrath, to enjoy a 0-7 to 1-2 lead by the tenth minute.

Salle hit back with five points in six minutes, two from the deadly Douglas (1-7 to 0-8). O’Regan pulled off an incredible one on one save from Eddie Meaney. Sion went up the other end and Jack Meaney fired to the net in the sixteenth minute.

McNulty, Jake Dillon and Jack Fagan points from play edged Salle a 1-10 to 1-8 in front.. Defender Peter Penkert was stretchered off for Sion but a pair of Gleeson points brought them back on level terms. The number nine nailed four beauties in the first half. McNulty with his third ’65 and McGrath with his fourth, traded points before the interval.

Mount Sion twice led by two in the third quarter with McGrath, Gleeson, Charlie Costello and Stephen Roche all on target. The Salle half-back line of McNulty and the Moran brothers (Kevin and Tom) thundered into the game in their hour of need. Those six unanswered points turned it in their favour.

Fagan pointed twice as Kevin Moran, subs Shane Ryan and Dean Twomey and McCann also split the posts. Douglas was denied a second goal by O’Regan but did add a late insurance score. There was a melee in front of the Keane’s Road goal at the final whistle but the stewards managed to separate both sets of players.

De La Salle will seek to stop Ballygunner’s six-in-a-row title bid on 13 October in a repeat of the 2017 decider.

Scorers for De La Salle: Thomas Douglas 1-3, Jack Fagan 0-5 (0-3f), Shane McNulty 0-3 (0-3 ’65), Cormac McCann, Jake Dillon 0-2 each, Adam Farrell, Shane Ryan, Dean Twomey, Paidi Nevin, Kevin Moran 0-1 each.

Scorers for Mount Sion: Austin Gleeson (0-1f), Evan McGrath (0-4f) 0-5 each, Jack Meaney 1-1, Stephen Roche 0-2, Martin F O’Neill, Michael Gaffney, Charlie Costello 0-1 each.

De La Salle

1. Shaun O’Brien

2. Ryan Duke
3. Conor Giles Doran
4. Michael Doherty

5. Shane McNulty
6. Kevin Moran
7. Tom Moran

8. Eddie Barrett
9. Adam Farrell

10. Paidi Nevin
12. Jake Dillon
14. Jack Fagan

15. Eddie Meaney
17. Thomas Douglas
13. Cormac McCann

Subs

18. Shane Ryan for Meaney (35)
11. Dean Twomey for Barrett (35)
21. Luke Flynn for Douglas

Mount Sion

1. Ian O’Regan

2. Mikey Daykin
3. Luke O’Brien
4. PJ Fanning

5. Peter Penkert
6. Owen Whelan
7. Mark Hoban

8. Stephen Roche
9. Austin Gleeson

10. Charlie Costello
11. Evan McGrath
12. Michael Gaffney

13. Jack Meaney
14. Martin F O’Neill
15. Alan Kirwan

Subs

18. Evan Curran for Penkert (27)
23. John Kennedy for Kirwan (42)
22. Edward Cullen for Costello (50)

Referee: Thomas Walsh