Hutchinson stars as Ballygunner reach ninth consecutive Munster club SHC final

Kilmallock's Michael Houlihan and Stephen Quirke come up against Conor Sheehan and Paddy Leavey of Ballygunner ©INPHO/Bryan Keane

Ballygunner maintained their remarkable dominance of Munster club hurling with a convincing 1-20 to 1-11 victory over Limerick champions Kilmallock at Walsh Park to book their place in a ninth consecutive provincial senior final.

Dessie Hutchinson was central to the Waterford kingpins' success, finishing with 1-4, while Pauric Mahony added seven points in an impressive individual display.

Hutchinson's early goal helped the Gunners establish control, with the holders taking a 1-7 to 0-6 advantage into the interval.

Kilmallock rallied after the restart, with Oisin O'Reilly finding the net to keep the contest alive, but Ballygunner's experience and quality ultimately proved decisive.

Jason Ryan's men finished in commanding fashion, registering the final eight points of the game to secure a nine-point victory and march towards another Munster decider where they'll face Thurles Sarsfields following the Tipperary champions' one-point win over Inagh-Kilnamona (Clare) after extra time in Ennis this afternoon.