All-Ireland club hurling semi-final: Sarsfields (Cork) 0-18 Slaughtneil (Derry (0-17)
It came down to inches in the end, as Sarsfields finished strongly in Newbridge to become the first Cork team since 2006 to qualify for an All-Ireland club senior hurling final.
The sides were level after 60 minutes but three Sarsfields injury-time points to Slaughtneil’s one pushed them two ahead with the seconds ticking away.
There was one last-gasp opportunity for Slaughtneil to make history and advance to a first ever club hurling decider but captain Mark McGuigan, who had done brilliantly to find space in front of the Sarsfields goal, couldn’t keep his shot down and instead fired the ball over the crossbar from close range.
It was to be the Derry side’s last chance in a hard-fought, gritty semi-final which hung in the balance throughout as neither side could shake off the other.
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Slaughtneil had eked out a three-point advantage midway through the second half but Sarsfields rallied back to see the outcome decided in those frantic dying moments, becoming the first Leeside club since Newtownshandrum 18 years ago to contest the decider. It will also be a maiden final appearance for Sarsfields.
“It was six inches from going home deflated or going home absolutely elated and we’re absolutely elated, obviously enough,” admitted relieved Sarsfields manager Johnny Crowley.
“You have to feel sorry for [Mark] McGuigan but look that’s the way the dice rolls and thankfully it’s rolled up a six for us.”
Down the corridor, the hurt of losing a fifth All-Ireland club hurling semi-final was clear.
“Trying to find the words,” said Slaughtneil manager Paul McCormack. “Cruel is one adjective I suppose. Heartbreaking. Just the reality it’s over. That’s the thing, that’s it now, it’s real.
“It’s not where we wanted to end. And we were determined to win this match and go to Croke Park. A one-point game, it wasn’t a pretty game but we were in it, nobody could tell me there was any difference between the two teams.”
There wasn’t. The two sides cancelled each other out for large periods. At the interval Sarsfields led 0-8 to 0-7 but within seconds of the restart Slaughtneil were level again.
A renowned dual club, Slaughtneil did compete in two previous All-Ireland club football finals but getting to a hurling decider was an itch they were determined to scratch.
The Ulster champions certainly had the more vocal crowd at the recently reopened Cedral St Conleth’s Park in Newbridge on Sunday but it was the Munster side that raced out of the blocks quickest – Aaron Myers and Daniel Hogan popping over early points for Sarsfields.
But Slaughtneil were level by the 11th minute and before the quarter hour mark they had pushed their noses ahead. The pattern of a tense, tight game had been set – there was never more than three points between the teams at any stage.
Brendan Rogers caused Sarsfields a huge amount of problems and over the course of the game the Cork side tried three different markers on him – two of whom were booked for fouling the Derry football midfielder.
Eoghan Murphy was moved off Rogers after only nine minutes while Bryan Murphy was switched off him in the second half, with sub Craig Leahy handed the task for the closing stages.
Both sides squandered scorable frees in the first half – Hogan (2) and Cormac O’Doherty (3) hitting wides from positions they would have expected to raise white flags.
Hogan was taken off the frees by Sarsfields in the second half but O’Doherty showed good nerve to overcome his misses to clip over several important scores after the break – including two frees in an eight-minute period when Slaughtneil moved from one behind to three in front.
During that spell of dominance the Derry champions were also aggrieved that Jack O’Connor only received a yellow card for a late tackle on O’Doherty.
Especially as O’Connor had a huge impact in the outcome of the game, scoring two points – the second of which was a sensational score as he somehow stayed on his feet running through a gauntlet of tackles before tapping over the bar to level the game at 0-13 apiece in the 52nd minute.
The Sarsfields bench also made a significant difference in the closing stages, both Shane O’Regan and Liam Healy notched points late on.
O’Doherty’s 60th-minute free to make it 0-15 apiece looked set to send the game to extra-time but when Myers and Healy pushed Sarsfields back in front it set up a grandstand finish.
Shane McGuigan pulled a point back for Slaughtneil before Cathal McCarthy extended the gap to two again. In the last of the four added minutes, Mark McGuigan had the goal chance – but it wasn’t to be for Slaughtneil.
“It wasn’t a game of massive stickwork,” added Crowley. “But in a heavyweight competition it was an absolute battle.”
That it was. And when it ended, it was Sarsfields left standing.
Sarsfields: Ben Graham; Paul Leopold, Conor O’Sullivan, Luke Elliott; Bryan Murphy (0-1), Cillian Roche, Eoghan Murphy; Colm McCarthy, Cathal McCarthy (0-2); Daniel Hogan (0-4, 4f), Daniel Kearney, Cian Darcy; Jack O’Connor (0-4), Aaron Myers (0-5, 2f), James Sweeney. Subs: Shane O’Regan (0-1) for Sweeney (42 mins); Craig Leahy for Leopold (44 mins); Killian Murphy for E Murphy (50 mins); Liam Healy (0-1) for Kearney (58 mins).
Slaughtneil: Oisín Doherty; Paul McNeill, Seán Cassidy, Fionn McEldowney; Shane McGuigan (0-3), Conor McAllister, Ruairí Ó Mianáin (0-1); Jack Cassidy, Meehaul McGrath (0-1); Brendan Rogers, Sé McGuigan, Mark McGuigan (0-1); Eamon Cassidy (0-1), Shéa Cassidy (0-1), Cormac O’Doherty (0-9, 8f, 1 65). Subs: Cathal McKaigue for Ó Mianáin (51 mins); Gerald Bradley for McGrath (56 mins); Peter McCullagh for J Cassidy (58 mins).
Referee: James Owens (Wexford).
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