Ballygunner claim narrow win over Imokilly to lift 2025 Abernethy Cup
Imokilly's Bill Cooper breaks through the tackle of Conor Tobin, Ballygunner, during the Abernethy Cup final at Castlemartyr. Picture: Denis O'Flynn
The Abernethy Cup will head to Ballygunner for 2025, after a hard-fought battle with Imokilly in Castlemartyr on Monday night.
The Waterford senior hurling champions were composed and clinical in both halves, surviving a fierce late push from Imokilly to seal the win. It was a game where the sides matched each other stride for stride, with parity reached twelve times before Ballygunner edged clear at the death.
Ballygunner enjoyed their biggest lead after 53 minutes, 0-22 to 0-18, but Imokilly closed the gap once more.
Jack Leahy set up Shane Hegarty for a superb score before pointing the next free. Then Mike McGrath found Brian Lawton, who launched a high ball to James O’Brien. O’Brien pulled off a stunning catch and laid it off to Barry Lawton, who notched his seventh point from play. Paul Sheehan then combined with Leahy to bring the sides level yet again.
Ballygunner weren’t done. A pair of late frees from Colum Hartley nudged them back in front entering added time. Hegarty responded for the candystripes with a sharp point from a tight angle into the wind, but Hartley had the final say with another free to secure victory.
It was a high-intensity, entertaining clash – an ideal championship warm-up for both sides. Barry Lawton was the standout performer, while Philip Mahony impressed at centre-back for Ballygunner and Dessie Hutchinson played a key role in their forward line alongside Conor Tobin.
Imokilly led 0-12 to 0-10 at half-time, having played with the wind, but within five minutes of the restart, Ballygunner had restored parity for the seventh time. The only major goal chance of the game came shortly after.
A flowing move from an Imokilly restart, as Ross Walsh found Barry Lawton, who in turn sent Diarmuid Kearney away. Kearney blasted a thunderous shot from distance, only for Cian Troy to pull off a magnificent save, tipping it away from the top corner.
Although Leahy couldn’t convert the resulting 65, Imokilly regained the lead with three points in succession. But Ballygunner responded swiftly and went on a five-point spree in the third quarter to wrest back momentum.
Imokilly kept fighting and clawed their way back, but couldn’t find the scores to pull ahead again.
The opening half followed a similar pattern. With the breeze, Imokilly edged the first 30 minutes, though they were wasteful ¬– striking seven wides to Ballygunner’s five.
Ballygunner had led 0-2 to 0-1 after three minutes through a Hutchinson free and a Gavin Corbett point, but that was their last lead until the 39th minute.
Imokilly pulled ahead four times over the next 13 minutes, only for Ballygunner to respond each time. The Cork champions eventually gained the upper hand after 22 minutes.
Leahy edged them ahead from a free, and when Philip Mahony was wrongly penalised for three catches, Leahy tapped over another. John Cronin and Bill Cooper then set up scores for Mark Hegarty and Mark O’Dwyer, giving Imokilly an 0-11 to 0-7 lead.
Conor Sheahan replied for Ballygunner before setting up Waterford teammate Hutchinson for the next. Barry Lawton responded with a point, but Hutchinson had the final score of the half to leave just two between them at the break.
Ballygunner made better use of the wind in the second half, but were made to work all the way.
J Leahy 0-8 (0-5 f), Barry Lawton 0-7, M O’Dwyer, S O’Donoghue, S Hegarty 0-2 each, B Cooper, M Hegarty 0-1 each.
D Hutchinson 0-6 (0-3 f), C Hartley 0-5 (0-3 f), C Tobin 0-4, K Mahony, E Cuddihy 0-3 each, G Corbett, C Sheahan, E O’Brien, C O’Sullivan 0-1 each.
R Walsh (Russell Rovers); M McGrath (Dungourney), C O’Brien (St Ita’s), D Healy (Dungourney); J Cronin (Lisgoold), Brian Lawton (Castlemartyr), S Hegarty (Dungourney); B Cooper (Youghal), D Kearney (Cobh); M Hegarty (Lisgoold), J Leahy (Dungourney), Barry Lawton (Castlemartyr); S O’Donoghue (St Catherine’s), J O’Brien (Cloyne), M O’Dwyer (Russell Rovers).
F O’Connell (Aghada) for Cronin (HT), C Martin (Castlemartyr) for Healy (42), P Sheehan (Carraig na bhFear) for M Hegarty (48), C Geary (Youghal) for C O’Brien (55), R O’Connell (Aghada) for J O’Brien (57).
C Troy; B O’Keeffe, R Power, T Brennan; C O’Sullivan, P Mahony, E O’Brien; C Sheahan, D O’Keeffe; K Mahony, M Mahony, G Corbett; C Tobin, D Hutchinson, E Cuddihy.
P Power for P Mahony, R Fitzpatrick for O’Keeffe (both HT), S O’Neill for Sheahan (42), C Hartley for Hutchinson (45), C Power for Corbett, C Whitty for Cuddihy, C Murphy for Brennan (all 53).
Jimmy Smiddy (Castlemartyr)
App?
