De La Salle's Brian Phelan, Paidi Nevin, Eddie Barrett and Michael Doherty celebrate their team's Waterford SHC title victory.

De La Salle's Brian Phelan, Paidi Nevin, Eddie Barrett and Michael Doherty celebrate their team's Waterford SHC title victory.

De La Salle 3-13; Ballygunner 1-11

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Now who saw that coming? De La Salle’s surprising and fully deserved eight point win over defending champions Ballygunner at Walsh Park last Sunday flew firmly in the face of most ‘expert’ opinion.

Most had expected this to be an open, free-flowing game but it quickly became apparent that it would be anything but, as De La Salle went two points in front when John Mullane converted two frees.

We had to wait until the seventh minute for the first score from play, when David Greene scored after being left unmarked in the middle of the field.

The large attendance quickly cottoned that Ballygunner had left their best form in Dungarvan the previous week, as they struggled to make inroads on the dominant DLS defensive trio of Kevin Moran, Stephen Daniels and Ian Flynn.

Ballygunner finally opened their account in the eighth minute when Stephen Power scored a free, and he would repeat the feat a minute later.

The sides remained well matched over the next 10 minutes as John Mullane kept the scoreboard ticking over from play and from frees while David Greene added his second point in the 21st minute.

After a very disappointing first half, De La Salle led by 0-8 to 0-4 with all of Ballygunner’s points coming from Stephen Power frees.

The Gunners required a good start to the first half to truly make a game, but that challenge never gainfully materialised.

Mullane scored an exquisite point from the right touchline to put De La Salle five clear and he stretched their lead even further a couple of minutes later, converting a free after Johnny Kearney over-carried.

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