AIB Ulster Club Senior Hurling Championship semi-final (AET)
Slaughtneil 1-36 Cushendall 3-26

AN epic Ulster Club hurling semi-final went the way of Slaughtneil who eventually ended their Cushendall hoodoo with victory over the defending champions at Box-It Athletic Grounds on Saturday.

This was a game which will live long in the memory as the sides slugged it out as the Derry side made up for last year's disappointment to the Antrim side in the final.

At the same venue 12 months previous, Neil McManus rescued the situation for Cushendall against Portaferry with a last-gasp goal to force extra time and his team would power on to victory.

McManus was at it again on Saturday, but Slaughtneil were not about to let this be a knockout blow as they regathered and powered home in extra time to set up a meeting with Portaferry in the final.

Brendan Rogers was in inspired form, same with Jack Cassidy, Cormac O'Doherty, Ruairí Ó Mianáin, Conor Coyle...you get the picture.

Not many had predicted a victory for the Derry side prior to throw-in, but their manager, former Armagh dual star Paul McCormack, knew exactly what his team had in the tank.

"I told the boys they were going to have to do more than expected today and that turned out to be extra-time," said the Keady native.

"Throughout the season at training, I'd spoken about having to go to extra-time at some stage, so soak it up. They just reached down inside and found that extra level they have been to for the past 10 or 12 years.

"They know how to get out of tight spots. They were composed, skills were incredible and the quality was incredible, so I'm thrilled for those men because of the work they've put in.

"They were disappointed last year, disappointed against Dunloy (in 2022). Those boys are winners and when they win, they want more. It was just a privilege to be a part of it."

Slaughtneil flew out of the traps and led 0-7 to 0-1 with Jack Cassidy grabbing two of his five in the opening period.

Cushendall grew into it with the next four, but Slaughneil responded in kind with an inspirational effort from Brendan Rogers the pick and they pushed the gap back out to six when McManus halved the deficit in the 23rd minute when first to a breaking ball.

Slaughtneil again had an answer four minutes later as Meehaul McGrath teed up Eamon Cassidy and the sides continued to slug it out in a breathtaking first half with the Derry side holding a 1-16 to 1-12 lead at the break.

There was no let-up in the second half with McManus levelling with his second goal four minutes in when fetching a Scott Walsh delivery and Sean McAfee gave them the lead for the first time.

But the sides were neck and neck before Slaughtneil appeared to break for home with four scores on the spin having spurned a number of chances and they led by as many entering stoppage time.

A McManus free left one in it and then with their final chance, McManus let fly with a speculative shot from outside the D with the ball going through a ruck of bodies and taking a deflection as it ended up in the net to send the game to extra-time with it standing 3-21 to 1-27.

Nei McManus sends the game tinto extra time
2Gallery

Nei McManus sends the game tinto extra time

It could have been a crushing blow for Slaughtneil, but they took a two-point lead into the turn of ends and this time finished the job with four of the five points in the second period including Rogers' seventh to see the Derry men through.

There were no complaints from Cushendall manager Brian Delargy who praised the effort and resilience of his team.

"The culture we have in our club is that when things get tough, we just knuckle down but came up short today," he said.

"When you go in there to the dressing room ahead of extra-time, that's living. The buzz and everybody thinking we're back again like we were last year against Portaferry, but we came back out and Slaughtneil hit two points and that took the buzz out of it a bit, but the boys died with their boots on."

SLAUGHTNEIL: O O'Doherty; F McEldowney (0-1), P McNeill, C McAllister (0-1); R Ó Mianáin (0-3), C Coyle (0-2), Shane McGuigan; J Cassidy (0-6), M McGrath (0-1); M McGuigan (0-3), Sé McGuigan (0-2), C O'Doherty (0-6, 2f); E Cassidy (1-1), B Rogers (0-7), Shéa Cassidy (0-2)
Subs: G Bradley (0-1) for Sé McGuigan (52)
ET subs: Sean Cassidy for C McAllister (10), Cathal McKaigue for M McGuigan (13)

CUSHENDALL: C McAlister; L Gillan, P Burke (0-1), M Burke; Scott Walsh (0-1), E Campbell (0-2), R McCollam (0-1); F McCurry, (0-2) R McCambridge (0-1); R McAteer (0-2), N McManus (3-9, 0-2 65s, 0-1 f), F McCambridge (0-3); E McQuillan (0-1), S McAfee (0-1), J McLaughlin (0-1).
Subs: P McGill for S McAfee (44), C McAuley for R McAteer (48), Alex Delargy for J McLaughlin (53), D Delargy for E McQuillan (60), C McNaughton for F McCurry (60+2)
ET subs: Andrew Delargy for C McNaughton (start), J McLaughlin for P McGill (7), R McAteer for S Walsh (8), C McNaughton for L Gillan (14)

REFEREE: P Owens (Down)