Eleventh heaven for Ballygunner after Waterford Hurling final win over Abbeyside-Ballinacourty

Ballygunner 2-28

Abbeyside-Ballinacourty 2-10

Ballygunner secured an 11th successive Waterford Senior Hurling title with one of the most dominant performances they've produced in the course of a 58-match unbeaten run which shows no signs of abating.

With 10 different scorers, featuring 11 points from the outstanding Pauric Mahony and goals from Dessie Hutchinson and Patrick Fitzgerald, Ballygunner blitzed Abbeyside which had only conceded 2-59 in their run to the final.

Playing with a strong wind advantage in the opening half, Ballygunner overwhelmed their heavily supported challengers to lead by 1-15 to 0-05 at the break.

After a hectic opening minute full of physical exchanges, Gunners wing-back Ronan Power opened the scoring with a fine strike from just inside his own half.

Abbeyside promptly responded through a Michael O’Halloran free only for Dessie Hutchinson to immediately cancel out that response with a stunning point from wide on the left.

Kevin and Pauric Mahony (2), who linked up brilliantly during several first half attacks, pointed in the seventh, eighth and ninth minutes respectively. And when the dominant Conor Sheahan opened his account from the middle of the park after 11 minutes, the champions led by 0-06 and 0-01 and one feared the worst for Abbeyside.

But to the challengers’ credit, they rallied well to register three of the next four points through Michael O’Halloran (two frees) and towering full-forward Michael Kiely, who kept Barry Coughlin busy on those occasions the ball fell his way.

Alas, that five minute purple patch was as good as it got for Abbeyside, with Ballygunner 'winning’ the remaining 13 minutes of first half regulation time by 1-08 to 0-01.

Seven minutes from the break, Hutchinson found