AIB Ulster Club SHC Semi-Final

SLAUGHTNEIL 1-18 DUNLOY 0-14

By Declan Bogue at the Athletic Grounds

Slaughtneil are back into their fifth Ulster senior hurling club final in six seasons after a comprehensive win over Dunloy.

It took Brendan Rogers to produce a spectacular 1-2 in three minutes to open up a gap that Dunloy couldn’t close, just when it appeared momentum was on their side.

Aided by a massive wind blowing in Slaughtneil’s favour, they played it smart in the first half. Goalkeeper Oisin O’Doherty was landing his puckouts on the opposition 21 metre line, but in close quarters the dominant figure of Conor McKinley was standing tall as a massive physical presence.

After the opening skirmishes, the defending champions hit a purple patch, holding Dunloy scoreless for 18 minutes while they collected seven consecutive points. Four converted frees from Cormac O’Doherty did the heavy lifting and while Sé McGuigan had a sight of a goal chance with a ground stroke, Dunloy net minder Ryan Elliott got a block on it with the rebound spilling to Shane McGuigan for a point.

A late rally then from Dunloy brought two points from Eoin O’Neill and one from Kevin Molloy to go into the break 0-9 to 0-6 in Slaughtneil’s favour.

With the big wind in the second half, Dunloy needed to mix things up and not hit corner back Conor Kinsella with so many puckouts.

Instead, they were guilty of several passages of over-elaboration. Fifteen yard stick passes that weren’t going to hand, an extra pass here and there. Against a hardy group like Slaughtneil, that kind of approach is turned to a weakness.

When Dunloy narrowed the margin to a single point with a Coby Cunning free, Slaughtneil made the decisive plays in a blistering five minute spell.

A huge catch from Jerome McGuigan ended with a Rogers point. Cormac O’Doherty split the posts again with a free. When Dunloy over-played in their own defence, Brian Cassidy overturned Ryan McGarry, the turnover was worked to Rogers who charged through the middle and batted to the roof of Elliott’s net. Within a minute, he was collecting a Crossfield delivery from O’Doherty and pointing again.

Dunloy staged a mini-revival helped by Cunning finding his range from frees, but there could be no doubt Slaughtneil finished stronger with the last three points.

They now face Down’s Ballycran in the final, a side that beat them well in the 2018 final, back next Sunday. 

Scorers for Slaughtneil: C O’Doherty (0-7, 7f), B Rogers (1-4), M McGrath (0-3), Shane McGuigan, C McKaigue, B Cassidy, J Cassidy (0-1 each)

Scorers for Dunloy: C Cunning (0-6, 5f, 0-1 ‘65’), P Sheils and E O’Neill (0-2 each), Keelan Molloy, Kevin Molloy, D Smith, S Elliott (0-1 each)

SLAUGHTNEIL: O O’Doherty; K McKaigue, S Cassidy, P McNeill; Shane McGuigan, C McAllister, M McGrath; G Bradley, C McKaigue; M McGuigan, C O’Doherty, B Rogers; Sé McGuigan, J McGuigan, B Cassidy.

Subs: J Cassidy for B Cassidy (60m).

DUNLOY: R Elliott; A Crawford, C McKinley, C Kinsella; R Molloy, N McKeague, R McGarry; P Shiels, Keelan Molloy; E O’Neill, KevinMolloy, D Smith; E Smyth, C Cunning, S Elliott.

Subs: C McMahon for N McKeague (24m), S Dooey for D Smith (49m).

Referee: James Connors (Donegal).