Munster SH Semi-finals/Ballygunner 3-13 Clarecastle 2-9: That seven-point margin by which Ballygunner claimed their place in next month's AIB Munster club hurling final seldom wavered throughout the match. Yet, there was always a slight tingle in this encounter, suggesting that appearances might be deceptive and that the Waterford side's comfortable hold on the game might be suddenly broken.
The two reasons for such suspicions were that shortly into the second half the winners lost corner back Rory O'Sullivan to a second yellow card and also that Clarecastle had stormed their way back into contention within a few minutes of the restart despite trailing at the interval by - yes - seven points.
In the end, appearances didn't lie and the Gunners were good value for the win, responding calmly to the above adversity, redoubling their efforts in the key areas where they were doing particularly well and finishing strongly.
Clarecastle might dispute that the whole process was quite as smooth as that, but Ger Ward and his management team - that includes Fergie Tuohy and Ger 'Sparrow' O'Loughlin - will also acknowledge that they threw away the opportunities to expose fully any reservations about their more favoured opponents.
For instance, take the period just around half-time on either side of the break. Having conceded the second of Paul Flynn's goals with the whistle beckoning, the Clare champions watched a dropping ball launched in by Conor Plunkett tipped away tamely enough by Patrick Haran in the Ballygunner goal.
Whereas that ball just didn't fall for them, Clarecastle then earned a prime, 25-metre-or-so free, which Derek Quinn, their most threatening forward, inexplicably wasted by going for goal instead of clawing back a score just before referee Diarmuid Kirwan blew for the interval.
Within a couple of minutes of the restart the same player mishit another handy free only for Seánie Moloney to carve through a minute later and fire a good point opportunity wide.
Those three potential scores would have set the team up for the second half and put huge pressure on Ballygunner, particularly given the events that were shortly to follow.
O'Sullivan's foul on Stephen Sheedy and consequent red card led to a penalty. Quinn's effort was blocked, but on this occasion Moloney pounced upon the rebound to fire home and cut the margin to four, 2-3 to 2-7.
A swift further score from veteran Sheedy, having his most productive spell during an afternoon when Fergal Hartley was for the most part in masterful control of that 40, trimmed the deficit to one score and must have prompted some rueful reflection on the three points that had been frittered away.
With Clarecastle hopes at their zenith, Ballygunner responded. A hefty block in centrefield by battling captain Andy Moloney was tipped through the cover for Shane O'Sullivan to race in on goal and tidily place the ball to the right past Clarecastle goalkeeper John Casey.
From then on the Clare side were fighting an uphill battle as further chances slipped away and a relieved Ballygunner reasserted themselves. Overall, it was a useful display by the experienced Waterford club. Their hot spots were in the half-back line where all three hurled very well and centrally up front where the incomparable Flynn gave a typical display belying a lack of mobility and a nasty clatter on the hand to help himself to 2-3. The less heralded Paul Foley added four points from play as a bonus on top of his hard graft at centre forward.
Clarecastle actually started quite well and exerted a nice bit of pressure on their opponents' less-than-watertight full-back line. Quinn buzzed around creating problems and scored two of the opening three points before dropping in the ball that Tyrone Kearse finished to the net for a 1-3 to 0-3 lead in the 11th minute.
But soon the opportunities began to dry up as Hartley took command of the approaches, while, beside him, Wayne Hutchinson gave a really strong display of ball winning - even as far back as his own goalmouth on one occasion - and if the distribution didn't always do justice to the acquisition, the right wing back still broke up numerous attacks.
On the other wing Alan Kirwan also played well, coolly fielding one ball and returning it back over the bar for a point.
The key scores were Flynn's goals - one ball whipped home right-to-left as it apparently ran away from the danger area and the other a 20-metre free.
In red-hot inter-county matches the Waterford forward routinely hammers these into the net so it was only the excessively cautious who wondered if he might go for it.
Suitably fortified, Ballygunner went on to see off all threats, real and imagined, to qualify for the final against holders Newtownshandrum on Sunday week.
BALLYGUNNER: P Haran; N O'Donnell, W Kiely, R O'Sullivan; W Hutchinson, F Hartley, A Kirwan (0-1); C Kehoe, A Moloney (0-1); B O'Sullivan, P Foley (0-4), S O'Sullivan (1-1); T Power, P Flynn (2-3, one goal and two points from frees), G O'Connor (0-2). Subs: S Walsh (0-1) for Power (46 mins), M Kearney for B O'Sullivan (53 mins), D O'Sullivan for Flynn (58 mins), B Mullane for Foley (59 mins).
CLARECASTLE: J Casey; M McNamara, M Sheedy, G Canny; J O'Connor, C Plunkett, O Plunkett; J Pyne (0-1), J Clancy (0-2); D Scanlon, S Sheedy (0-1), E Flynn; S Moloney (1-0), T Kearse (1-1), D Quinn (0-4, two frees). Subs: G Griffey for Scanlon (45 mins), A Griffey for Moloney (53 mins), G Barry for O Plunkett (59 mins).
Referee: D Kirwan (Cork).
