’Gunner in groove for comeback
ATRULY magnificent second-half rally saw Ballygunner overturn a fivepoint half-time deficit to overcome Sixmilebridge in a gripping Munster Club semi-final at Walsh Park.
JJ Hutchinson, scorer of 1-3 during the Gunners’ second-half recovery, rifled a 58th-minute goal though a mass of limbs to edge Fergal Hartley’s side two points clear before a 2,492-strong crowd.
‘JJ’s an old dog,’ grinned the proud Ballygunner boss, after sharing a hug with the full-forward, who was called up in the absence of the injured Brian O’Sullivan.
‘He’s 30 years of age now. He’s done it now for Ballygunner in the [county] semi-final against Lismore when he come on and scored the winning point, he did last week against Thurles and he did it again today, but that’s the mark of the man and that’s what having a panel is all about.’
Despite a stoppage-time goal from Sixmile’s Seadna Morey, Ballygunner held on for another dramatic victory, despite the Claremen dominating the opening half, having led by 0-11 to 0-6 up at the break.
Sixmile’s Jamie Shanahan and Ballygunner’s Pauric Mahony traded the opening points inside five minutes before Shane Golden and Conor Deasy pushed the visitors ahead. Mahony and Shanahan exchanged further frees in the 10th and 12th minutes.
Mahony turned over a 13thminute free before 41-year-old Niall Gilligan landed a superb point.
Mahony’s frees kept Ballygunner in touch while Jamie Shanahan’s accuracy over the dead ball pulled the Claremen four points clear before Gilligan landed his second point in additional time.
Ballygunner, togging out for the eighth successive weekend, re-emerged a transformed unit, drawing level by the 39th minute thanks to points from Billy O’Keeffe, JJ Hutchinson (two) and Pauric Mahony (two).
Over the next 20-plus minutes, the sides slugged it out, with Jamie Shanahan turning over two superb points for Sixmile in the closing stages, but the qualities exemplified by Mahony, O’Keeffe and Hutchinson ensured the day was Ballygunner’s.
Saluting Billy O’Keeffe’s superb second half contribution, Fergal Hartley stated: ‘He just ran at [the Sixmile backs]: those were his instructions, to get that ball and run at him, Billy had a stormer today and that was probably his best game of the year.
‘He did everything we asked of him; his movement off the ball was superb and that’s what we’re looking for from Billy and that’s the potential he has so I’m delighted for him.’
With a weekend off ahead of the Munster final against Na Piarsaigh, the Gunners boss conceded it was ‘badly needed…to be fair, that’s eight weeks on the trot and it has been tough, there’s no question.
‘And this week, I believe was the toughest [match] of the whole lot in terms of getting lads to the right pitch.
‘It was tough and then last week, against Thurles Sarsfields, we had the fact that we’d lost to them last year to dip into, to get that little bit more out of them.
‘This week was the toughest of the lot to get them right; I think we saw that maybe in the first half but at half-time, the lads got themselves together and got to where we needed to get to,’ he added.
Na Piarsaigh, who defeated Ballygunner by seven points in the 2015 Munster final, once again await a week on Sunday, with the Waterford side keen to end a 16year wait for a second provincial title.
‘We’ve not looked beyond any team we’ve played over the last eight weeks, it’s literally been a case of one game at a time,’ said Hartley.
‘So we’ll have to learn about Na Piarsaigh over the next two weeks, do our homework and be as prepared as we can be.’