Two goals from Conor Power eased Ballygunner to a fourth consecutive Waterford SHC title this afternoon.

Not since Mount Sion in the fifties has a Waterford club managed the four-in-a-row and Ballygunner’s quest to match this feat was never in doubt once Conor Power pulled to the net on 46 minutes to send the reigning champions 2-14 to 0-11 clear.

They had turned around at half-time 1-10 to 0-9 in front and two Pauric Mahony frees shortly upon the resumption, followed as they were by points from Shane Walsh and Brian O’Sullivan, lent itself to a creeping sense of inevitability that Fergal Hartley’s side wouldn’t be caught.

Power’s second goal confirmed this.

The challengers went looking for goals in the final quarter, but never really threatened Stephen O’Keeffe’s goal.

Ballygunner were full value for their 1-10 to 0-9 interval advantage and probably would have liked to have been further ahead given they had opened up a 1-5 to 0-2 lead after 12 minutes.

Brian O’Sullivan dispossessed Shane McNulty to begin the move which ended with Conor Power whipping to the net after 10 minutes. Half-forward David O’Sullivan was the busiest of the Ballygunner forwards during this period, clipping three points from play.

Da La Salle were finding scores much harder to come at the other end and were largely reliant on free-taker Shane Ryan to keep them in touch – he struck four of their nine first-half points. They were unable to make any real inroads on the Ballygunner lead in the second period.

Scorers for Ballygunner: Pauric Mahony (0-9, 0-7 frees); C Power (2-0); D O’Sullivan (0-3); Brian O’Sullivan (0-2); S Walsh, S O’Sullivan, B O’Keeffe, P Hogan (0-1 each).

Scorers for De La Salle: S Ryan (0-7, 0-7 frees); J Fagan (0-3, 0-1 sc); T Douglas (0-1 free), K Moran, P Nevin, J Mullane, A Farrell (0-1 each).

Ballygunner: S O’Keeffe; E Hayden, B Coughlan, I Kenny; W Hutchinson, Philip Mahony, S Walsh; H Barnes, S O’Sullivan; D O’Sullivan, B O’Keeffe, Pauric Mahony; C Power, Brian O’Sullivan, P Hogan.

Subs: M Mahony for Hogan (53); JJ Hutchinson for Power (28); Barry O’Sullivan for B O’Keeffe (60); T O’Sullivan for David O’Sullivan

De La Salle: S O’Brien; S Dalton, M Doherty, S McNulty; T Moran, K Moran, E Madigan; E Barrett, J Dillon; A Farrell, J Fagan, J Mullane; D Greene, P Nevin, S Ryan.

Subs: E Meaney for Madigan, T Douglas for Green (both 53 mins); C Macann for Ryan (57).

Referee: T O’Sullivan (Cappoquin).