All-Ireland Hurling semi-final: Ballygunner beat Slaughtneil to reach first final
- Published
Watch: O'Keeffe double sends Ballygunner into All-Ireland final
Two Billy O'Keeffe goals powered Ballygunner past Ulster champions Slaughtneil and into their first All-Ireland club hurling final.
The Waterford side beat their Derry opponents 2-19 to 1-17 at Parnell Park after storming into an early lead with an O'Keeffe goal inside four minutes.
They led 1-08 to 0-9 at half-time before O'Keeffe added his second soon after the break.
Shane McGuigan scored an injury-time Slaughtneil goal but it was too late.
Ballygunner will play Ballyhale in the final on either 12 or 13 February after they defeated St Thomas's of Galway 2-15 to 0-20.
The Munster champions got off to a flying start with points from Conor Sheehan and Kevin Mahony before O'Keeffe thundered the sliotar into the net.
Slaughtneil managed to respond with points from Cormac O'Doherty, Brendan Rogers and Brian Cassidy before the impressive Dessie Hutchinson flicked over at the other end to leave Ballygunner with a 1-03 to 0-3 lead.
'We were slow out of the blocks' - Slaughtneil boss McShane
Rodgers answered immediately for the Derry club while Pauric Mahony slotted over a free for Ballygunner and a sharp lift allowed Peter Hogan to increase their lead to 1-05 to 0-4.
A Jerome McGuigan point reduced Slaughtneil's deficit to three just before the water break.
In the second quarter, Mahony hit a monstrous free to extend Ballygunner's advantage but McGuigan replied for the Ulster champions.
O'Doherty split the sticks from a free before Hutchinson crashed over for the Munster men.
Se McGuigan and Michael McGrath notched scores for Slaughtneil but another Hutchinson point meant Ballygunner lead 1-08 to 0-9 at half-time.
In an almost mirror image of the opening minutes of the first half, Sheehan walloped over for Ballygunner before O'Keeffe rattled the net to give the Waterford club a healthy six-point lead.
O'Doherty tipped over a free for the Emmetts with Cassidy adding their 10th point moments later.
Man-of-the-match Billy O'Keeffe scored both of Ballygunner's goals
However, Ballygunner always came up with an answer and Peter Hogan (two), Kevin Mahony and Mikey Mahony all hit points with an O'Doherty free sandwiched in between to leave the score 2-13 to 0-12 heading into the final quarter.
O'Keeffe nudged the Waterford club further in front but Rodgers, who had a terrific game, helped Slaughtneil back to within four points of their opponents, scoring either side of Cassidy's effort while O'Doherty converted another free.
An O'Keeffe free saw Ballygunner move five points in front before a couple of excellent scores from Hutchinson increased the lead to seven.
McGuigan managed to find the net for Slaughtneil late on but it was too little too late for the Ulster champions as Kevin Mahony responded at the other end to finish the scoring and give Ballygunner a 2-19 to 0-17 victory.