De La Salle 1-21 Dungarvan 0-12:DE LA Salle lifted their third Waterford senior hurling title in five seasons with ease yesterday, seeing off underdogs Dungarvan before a 5,500-strong crowd at Fraher Field.
The city club extended their seven-point half-time lead to ultimately win by 12, ruthlessly dispatching a Dungarvan side who were appearing in their first senior decider since 1951.
De La Salle began brightly and had 1-1 registered inside three minutes thanks to corner-forward Jake Dillon, his expertly dispatched goal made possible by a blistering run and offload by John Mullane.
A Cormac Curran free opened Dungarvan’s account in the fourth minute, before Dillon and Seán Ryan exchanged scores in the fifth and sixth minutes respectively.
A Dillon free and an excellent Jack Kennedy point extended De La Salle’s lead before Curran tagged on his second free in the 11th minute.
Dungarvan, through Curran, struck the next three points to leave the minimum separating the sides by the 19th minute, before John Mullane steadied the ship for De La Salle with a trademark point from the left flank.
De La Salle then dominated proceedings through points from Mullane, Páidí Nevin, Kennedy, John Keane and Dean Twomey, with Colm Curran providing Dungarvan’s sole reply to leave the winners well ahead at the break.
The second half saw De La Salle’s greater all-round talent and physicality blow away a youthful Dungarvan side, for whom wing back Shane Kearney and Cormac Curran, scorer of nine points, kept the flag flying.
Mullane, deployed by manager Derek McGrath in a playmaking role this season, led by example.
De La Salle can now looks forward to a Munster Club Championship meeting with the Clare champions on November 11th, a competition they’ve yet to lose a game in.
DE LA SALLE: Steven Brenner; Conan Watt; Ian Flynn; Brian Phelan (0-2, 2f); Eoin Madigan; Kevin Moran; Steven Daniels; Eddie Barrett (0-1); Dean Twomey (0-1); Páidí Nevin (0-2); John Mullane (0-3); Jack Kennedy (0-2); David Greene; John Keane (0-3); Jake Dillon (1-5, 4f). Subs: Shane McNulty (0-2) for Greene (34 mins); Oran Keevers for Madigan (53); Jamie Sage for Keane and Chris Sheehan for Watt (both 59); Thomas Kearney for Barrett (60).
DUNGARVAN: Darren Duggan; Kevin Daly; Derek Barry; Luke Egan; Shane Kearney; Kenny Moore; Conor Sheridan; Jamie Nagle; Seán Ryan (0-1); Eoin Healy; Gavin Crotty (0-1); Cormac Curran (0-9, 7 frees, two 65s); Colm Curran (0-1); Ryan Donnelly; Cathal Curran. Subs: Karl Duggan for Sheridan (half-time); Michael Power for Cathal Curran (42 mins); David Houlihan for Donnelly (59) and Trevor Galvin for Daly (61).
