Emerging Ballinacourty young and ambitious

Practically every year the provincial club championship throws up a major surprise, something along the lines of an unheard challenger beating a famous heavyweight.

As if on cue, Sunday's Munster football semi-final saw Waterford champions Ballinacourty defeat Kerry representatives Kilcummin, an unlikely victory made all the more shocking in that it took place on Kerry's hallowed football turf of Fitzgerald Stadium.

Not that it was a fluke - Ballinacourty outplayed and out-muscled the Kerry club with remarkable determination.

It sets them up a with Munster football final date against another heavyweight side, Nemo Rangers of Cork, on Sunday week, and, needless to say, they'll go into that game as massive underdogs.

No Waterford club has ever won the Munster football title, and, remarkably, Ballinacourty's breakthrough comes just a year after The Nire made a similarly storming run through Munster, only to narrowly lose out Kerry's Dr Crokes in the final this time last year.

Naturally, the ones least surprised by Sunday's win were the members of the team, who were quietly confident they could upset the odds and topple Kilcummin, who boasted several established Kerry players, including former two-time All-Ireland winner Mike McCarthy.

Long-serving Waterford secretary Séamus Grant also saw an upset on the cards:

"No, I wasn't at all surprised that they won," he said. "They're a very organised team, very close. Their manager, Packie Hurney, has four sons on the team, that's how close they are. They've already won five other championships to date, and are definitely an emerging club.

"The reality is no Waterford club has ever won the Munster football championship, but I would definitely give them a chance. They're a young but very ambitious team."

It's possible that some members of the Kilcummin team had never heard of Ballinacourty prior to last Sunday, let alone find it on the map, and they wouldn't have been alone. The club takes in the three parishes of Abbeyside, Ballinroad and Garranbane, located on the eastern side of the River Colligan next to Dungarvan harbour.

While Ballinacourty provide the football tradition, in 1967 they merged with Abbeyside hurling club, and since 1979, have been based at the club grounds close to the Burgery. They had won three county senior football titles prior to this year - in 1978, 1978 and 1981 - and have also been named Waterford club of the year on four occasions.

Among the four playing sons of manager Hurney is county forward Gary, one of several Waterford football panellists in their ranks. Yet Sunday's 2-6 to 0-8 victory suggests they'll be anything but a walkover for Nemo Rangers. If anything, Ballinacourty proved far more physical than Kilcummin, eventually clearing the way for two final quarter goals from John Phelan and Patrick Hurney.

Ballinacourty also dominated midfield through Seán O'Hare and Patrick Lynch, and there's no reason why the provincial championship couldn't throw up a second surprise this season. At least Nemo have been warned.