Experience the key for Ballygunner

Munster SHC Quarter-finals/Ballygunner 2-12 Garryspillane 1-11: On their debut in the Munster Club hurling championship, Garryspillane were turned over by the wily Paul O'Flynn, who scored a total of 2-4 to send Ballygunner into a semi-final meeting with Clarecastle, in front of a crowd of 2,500 at the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick, yesterday.

Garryspillane, coached by Tony Considine, had the bit between their teeth after seven minutes when four Frankie Carroll scores put them 1-3 to 0-1 in front, but they soon found the occasion too hot to handle and their lack of experience at interprovincial level proved a telling factor.

The opening 20 minutes very much belonged to the respective full forwards, Carroll and Flynn, who shared 3-5 between them, with Flynn's 2-2 giving his side advantage.

Carroll, who had earlier opened Garryspillane's account with a brace of points, found the net after five minutes, availing of a blunder by full back Willie Kiely to finish a Dave Ryan long ball to the net.

With their tails up, and a handsome lead of five points, the Limerick side were looking good but Flynn changed the pattern of the game in favour of Ballygunner with a two-goal burst, scored over two minutes, to give them the initiative for the first time, 2-2 to 1-3.

Billy O'Sullivan ended the Flynn-Carroll monopoly. His score was cancelled by Davy Ryan before Gearóid O'Connor and Carroll exchanged points before the break to leave the Waterford champions with the advantage at the half-time break, 2-4 to 1-5.

Garryspillane made a promising start to the second half with points from Pat Tobin and Davy Ryan, but the brilliant Wayne Hutchinson, at left-half back, soon settled the eventual winners' defence and they conceded just four more points over the remainder of the contest.

With the Ryan brothers, TJ, Donie and Dave, kept well in control, Ballygunner went on to play some splendid hurling, and with Tommy Power knocking over four points from frees, they were generally in command.

With Frankie Carroll having drifted from proceedings, Garryspillane had lost their cutting edge but not Flynn, who sent over two more precious points to give his side a four-point advantage for the first time, 2-10 to 1-9.

The winners' midfielders Colin Kehoe and Andy Moloney continued to provide a good service for their front runners and there was never really any threat to their ascendancy over the closing period of the game.

BALLYGUNNER: P Haran; N O'Donnell, W Kiely, R O'Sullivan; A Kirwan, F Hartley, W Hutchinson; C Kehoe, A Moloney (0-1); B O'Sullivan (0-1), P Foley, S O'Sullivan; T Power (0-4, frees), P Flynn (2-4, 1-2 frees), G O'Connor (0-1). Subs: S Walsh (0-1) for B O'Sullivan (47 mins), D O'Sullivan for Power (63 mins).

GARRYSPILLANE: D Hayes; J Kiely, J Sheehan, A Noonan; C Hickey, Dave Ryan (0-4, three frees), S Burke; J Ryan, M O'Donnell; TJ Ryan (0-1), P Tobin (0-1), M O'Brien; Donie Ryan (0-1), F Carroll (1-4, 0-3 frees), E Bourke. Sub: V O'Connell for Bourke (41 mins).

Referee: S Roche (Tipperary).