Ballygunner march to ninth Waterford title on the spin with victory over Mount Sion at rain-soaked Walsh Park

Ballygunner 2-11 Mount Sion 0-8

Ballygunner are champions of Waterford for the ninth successive season.

The All-Ireland champions saw off Mount Sion in the Déise decider to equal the record of the monastery men and Erin's Own in winning nine county titles in a row.

Stephen O’Keeffe made two superb saves for the Gunners, as goals either side of half time from Pauric Mahony and Peter Hogan proved decisive at a rain soaked Walsh Park.

The first half saw just nine scores, but it wasn’t for a lack of presentable opportunity and drama in tandem.

Mount Sion were playing in the decider for the first time since 2014, but it was Ballygunner's Pauric Mahony who pointed the day’s opening score on three minutes with a well-taken free from distance, the first of 1-02 in the first half for the former Waterford captain.

The unpleasant orange weather warning conditions made it difficult to play the free flowing hurling we had previously witnessed from both sides, as it became a slow burning affair early on with a number of efforts sailing wide.

Mount Sion's profligacy was soon punished, as Mikey Mahony found Dessie Hutchinson in space and a trademark effort from the corner forward put the Gunners two to the good.

It was a frustrating first period for the monastery men, Evan Curran also firing wide having skipped past his opposite number nine Paddy Leavy - but their first real opportunity soon presented itself, and a golden one at that.

A stunning pass with his back to goal by Austin Gleeson set Owen Whelan away, who laid the ball off to the onrushing Jamie Gleeson, but he was stopped in his tracks by a high tackle from Barry Coughlan. A yellow card followed as referee Thomas Walsh awarded a penalty.

Up stepped Austin Gleeson against his former