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Ballygunner survived a major scare against first-time finalists Fourmilewater to extend their Waterford championship unbeaten run to 74 games, while Cathal McShane starred with 1-18 for Owen Roes in Tyrone and the Clifford brothers combined for 0-14 as Fossa reached another Kerry semi-final.
Fourmilewater came agonisingly close to snapping Ballygunner's extraordinary 74-game Waterford senior hurling championship unbeaten streak on Sunday afternoon, but the All-Ireland champions ultimately ground down the rank outsiders in stoppage time to claim another county title.
Appearing in their first-ever senior final, Fourmilewater had never previously beaten Ballygunner in championship action, yet they led by three points with only seven minutes remaining and were still a point ahead entering the final minute of normal time. Ballygunner led just once across the entire sixty minutes, but a devastating closing streak of one goal and four points overwhelmed the challengers when it mattered most.
For the last 32 games of their unbeaten Déise run, dating back to a 2021 semi-final against Mount Sion, no team had come within one score of the Gunners, and remarkably that statistic endures despite this scare. The margin may narrow in future contests, with Fourmilewater possessing a young squad built around the inside pairing of Seán Walsh and Aaron Ryan, who can trouble any defence.
Ballygunner themselves showed they will not weaken anytime soon, having claimed their ninth minor county title in just ten years midweek, with rising talents such as Cormac Spain and Jack Power soon to bolster their ranks. The challenge for every other Waterford side is clear: they must rise to meet a standard that continues to climb.
Mayo All-Ireland winner Kobe McDonald is among three St Kilda players who have been granted permission to feature in GAA club championships during the AFL off-season. The Irish Examiner reported on Monday that McDonald is set to line out for Crossmolina Deel Rovers, while Liam O'Connell is available for Cork's Ballincollig and Éamonn Armstrong can represent Meath outfit Duleek-Bellewstown.
McDonald departed for Melbourne at the start of August after helping Mayo end their 75-year wait for Sam Maguire glory, but the 18-year-old has already returned to Ireland and was spotted on stage with The Saw Doctors at the Electric Picnic festival in Stradbally on Sunday. His availability provides a massive boost for Crossmolina, who face Mayo Gaels this Sunday with victory sending them into the knockout stages of the county championship.
O'Connell's return is equally significant for Ballincollig, who sit on two losses and need a win in their final group outing on 13 September against Clonakilty to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle. Armstrong's Duleek-Bellewstown resume their Meath intermediate campaign in Round 3 against Oldcastle on Thursday, 3 September, currently holding one win and one defeat from their opening two fixtures.
Cathal McShane delivered a sensational individual performance with a personal haul of one goal and eighteen points as Owen Roes powered past their opponents in the opening round of the Tyrone intermediate football championship at the weekend. Operating at a level several grades beyond intermediate football, McShane appears fully recovered from the injury troubles that disrupted the latter years of his intercounty career with Tyrone.
Against the same opposition earlier in the league campaign, he had already registered one goal and eight points, and he surpassed that tally emphatically at the weekend. At Killyclogher, he clipped over four two-point frees, a two-point score from play, a goal and five points from play, and another five frees, only denied an even greater return by Aghaloo goalkeeper Jason Mulgrew, who saved a fiercely struck first-half penalty with a strong hand.
Displaying serious physical presence and sharp athleticism, a recall to the Tyrone senior panel does not look out of the question if he maintains these standards. Meanwhile in Kerry, brothers David and Paudie Clifford spearheaded Fossa's progress to a fourth straight intermediate football semi-final with a commanding four-point victory over Listowel Emmets, where the pair combined for fourteen points.
Paudie contributed both of his scores in the second half and orchestrated their attacking play throughout, while David signed off with twelve points including a pair of two-pointers from play, a two-pointer from a free, a pointed free, and five singles from play. Fossa also raised an early green flag through Clifford, who struck powerfully off his left boot within the opening minute to set the tone for a comfortable afternoon's work
Ballygunner Fourmilewater Waterford Hurling Kobe Mcdonald Cathal Mcshane Clifford Brothers
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