O'Keeffe brace key as Ballygunner overcome Slaughtneil for first All-Ireland final berth
January 23, 2022
Ballygunner's Billy O'Keeffe celebrates scoring the first goal of the game ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
Waterford kingpins Ballygunner are through to their first All-Ireland club senior hurling championship final after seeing off a stern challenge from Slaughtneil at Parnell Park today.
Billy O’Keeffe’s goals in the third and 32 minutes proved key in a 2-19 to 1-17 victory for the Munster champions as they now await the winners of Ballyhale Shamrocks and St Thomas’ on the weekend of February 12/13.
In what was a cracking contest, Ballygunner made the perfect start through O’Keeffe’s major three minutes in which was brilliantly set-up by Peter Hogan.
A spirited Slaughtneil side hit back brilliantly though as the frees of Cormac O’Doherty and points from Brendan Rodgers brought them right back into the contest and they’d only trail by 1-8 to 0-9 at the half.
The Gunners started the second-half in brilliant Kevin Mahony fed O’Keeffe through for his second goal and they’d be eight in front by the 48th minute after Mahony, Hogan and O’Keeffe all raised white flags.
The Derry champions would narrow the margin down to four again with five minutes remaining but Dessie Hutchinson steadied the eight-in-a-row Deise County champions’ ship and they could even afford to ship a Shane McGuigan goal towards the finish.
TweetAIB All Ireland Senior Hurling Club Championship Semi Final
— Waterford GAA (@WaterfordGAA) January 23, 2022
Full time
Ballygunner (Waterford) : 2-19(25)
Slaughtneil (Derry) : 1-17(20)
Congratulations to @ballygunnerHc they now advance to the AIB All Ireland Senior Hurling Club Championship Final!!#deiseabú pic.twitter.com/leWcI2yIzC
