Ulster Senior Club Hurling Final: Portaferry v Slaughtneil
Venue: Athletic Grounds, Armagh Date: Sunday, 1 December Throw-in: 17:00 GMT
Coverage: Live text commentary, report and highlights on the BBC Sport website and app
Slaughtneil manager Paul McCormack expects Sunday’s Ulster Club Hurling Final against Portaferry to be another thriller after his team’s dramatic extra-time semi-final win over holders Cushendall.
Armagh man McCormack looked to be facing an onerous task after taking on the Slaughtneil job following’s Michael McShane departure last December.
McShane guided the Robert Emmets outfit to their first Ulster triumph in 2016 and three more provincial titles were accumulated in addition to nine successive Derry championships during his time in charge.
But McCormack achieved something that even McShane didn’t manage in the Ulster Club Championship by masterminding a victory over Cushendall after the Derry outfit’s four previous provincial defeats by the Ruairi Ogs.
However, the Slaughtneil boss insists that there is still a big job of work to be done in the decider against a Portaferry side who looked to have Cushendall beaten in last year’s semi-final, only to eventually lose in extra-time.
“I have no doubt about it [that the final is going to be another epic]. I was here last year [for Cushendall against Portaferry] and they had that match won and just didn’t see it out,” said McCormack.
“So they are coming with a full deck. Another year’s experience for some of those younger fellows and a real ambition to win the Ulster Championship……but we have that too.”
Midfielder Jack Cassidy, who starred in Slaughtneil’s win two weeks ago, says McCormack has excelled in his managerial role since taking the job.
“To be fair to Michael [McShane] and all those great men, they did amazing things for Slaughtneil hurling and brought a lot of us young boys into the team. We had six under-21s on the team against Cushendall,” said Cassidy.
[But] Paul McCormack has come in and given everybody a fresh slate. We’re loving our hurling and let’s just hope the journey keeps going.”
Cassidy added that the Slaughtneil squad had huge motivation for this season after losing successive Ulster Finals against Dunloy and Cushendall in 2022 and last year.
“We felt we haven’t shown ourselves over the past two years.
“We’ve done an awful lot of work between hurling and football this year and it’s been a long year. But we kept saying to ourselves that we knew we had it in us.”
In addition to Cassidy’s display, the exuberance of Slaughtneil’s youth was epitomised by 18-year-old corner-back Finn McEldowney’s tenacious display against the Antrim champions.
“We call him the wasp,” said Cassidy of his fellow dual player McEldowney.
“Between football and hurling, his never-say-die attitude is something to take into every strand of life. Not just the hurling pitch. We all look up to him even though he’s probably the smallest man on the pitch.”
Another of Slaughtneil’s dual player contingent, Brendan Rogers believes last year’s 0-20 to 2-10 final defeat by Cushendall “fuelled” the young contingent for this season.
“A lot of the young boys did play last year or were about the panel. I suppose that was the learning experience they needed,” reflected Rogers.
“We knew they had the talent and the quality. Sometimes it’s just a case of nurturing that and trying to get the most out of them.”
As one of the squad’s senior players, Rogers admits that he can be “demanding” of the younger players.
“Maybe they hate me for it or hate the older boys for it but it’s because you know there’s so much in them and I’m glad they get to showcase that.”