Waterford champions Ballygunner scored a six-points win over a more fancied St Joseph's Doora-Barefield of Clare, in an exciting Munster club championship first-round hurling game played in heavy conditions at Walsh Park,Waterford yesterday.
It was an extremely satisfying victory for Ballygunner and their supporters among the 8,000 attendance, given the number of times Clare teams, both club and county, have inflicted defeat on Waterford opposition since 1995.
Ballygunner were always in control of this match, even before St Joseph's midfielder, Joe Considine, was unluckily sent off after 25 minutes for what seemed like an accidental connection with Ballygunner's Colin Kehoe. At that stage the Waterford outfit led by 1-7 to 0-6 , their goal coming from big full-forward Paul Foley after 12 minutes.
Ironically, St Joseph's looked more threatening after that and, helped by a scrambled goal from corner-forward Colm Mullen, trailed by just a point, 1-8 to 1-7, at the interval.
It remained close throughout the second half with magnificent free-taking by Seanie McMahon and a penalty goal from goalkeeper Christy O'Connor keeping the Clare champions very much in the running.
But the fact that only a goal and two points of their total came from play reflected the tight marking of the Ballygunner defence and with Paul Flynn deadly from frees, the Waterford team always looked the more likely winners. However, it was only their second goal from Mick Mahony all of six minutes into injury time which finally clinched it for Ballygunner.
BALLYGUNNER: R Whitty; N O'Donnell, A Kirwan, R O'Sullivan; C Kehoe, F Hartley, S Frampton; T Fives, P Power; M Mahony (1-2), A Moloney (0-1), P Flynn (0-13, 9 frees); B O'Sullivan (0-1), P Foley (1-2), D O'Sullivan.
ST JOSEPH'S: C O'Connor (1-0, pen); G Hoey, D Cahill, K Kennedy; F O'Sullivan, S McMahon (0-6, frees), D O'Driscoll; O Baker, J Considine; J O'Connor (0-6, 5 frees), N Brodie, L Hassett (0-1); D Kennedy, C O'Neill, C Mullen (1-0). Subs: A Whelan for O'Neill; G Baker for D Kennedy.
Referee: P O'Connor (Limerick).
Ballygunner ... 2-19
Doora-Barefield ... 2-13
