Morale boosting victory for Steelstown as Slaughtneil fall at Pairc Bhrid

Steelstown 1-14 ... Slaughtneil 1-09

A potentially season resuscitating second half, coming from two behind at the break to run out deserved five point winners, powered Steelstown to a fine win over Slaughtneil on Sunday afternoon.

Between injuries, withheld county stars, missing Christy Ring hurlers and lads plying their trade Stateside this game was devoid of a phalanx of quality ballers. The low scoring outcome tells the tale. The Emmets, in particular, have been hit hard and now find themselves a lowly twelfth in the table, just a precarious point above the relegation zone.

‘W’ in the bag, Laurence Strain’s men leap frogged their opponents up to tenth in the table, and while that’s just one point more than their beaten opponents, their game in hand and that morale boosting victory positions the city side in a healthier proposition as the league season gentle simmers to the boil.

And yet the south Derry men appeared to hold most of the major cards in a poor scoring first half, leading 1-3 to 0-4 at the interval. Cahal McKaigue, the best midfielder in the opening first half, drew first blood for Mark Doran’s men pointing to get us up and running at Páirc Bríd.

A scoreless nine minutes of prodding and poking for few, if any, openings ensued before former Derry star Christopher Bradley played a neat ‘one two’ with big Proinsias Burke which culminated in ‘Sammy’ clinically dispatching the ball into the top left hand corner of Mickey McKinney’s net. It handed the visitors a 1-1 to no score lead after ten minutes, with Chrissy McKaigue heavily involved in anything that was good about Slaughtneil.

The home side certainly didn’t panic. The pace of half back Corey McGuinness resulted in a Calum Deery free to see their side first shift their scoreboard in the 12th minute. An equally speedy foray forward by another defender, this time Shea Ferguson who split the sticks himself, doubled Steelstown’s early tally.

Cahal McKaigue hit his second for Slaughtneil soon after, dropping the shoulder and beat two men in the process. But two in a row left the home side just one point behind. First a breathless Ronan Canavan run resulted in a second Calum Deery point before Dan McAteer also pointed for as tight angle.

IN PICTURES: Steelstown power to five point win over Slaughtneil

The Emmet’s edged possession and territory, with accurate and incisive wee kick passes were finding Se McGuigan and Sammy Bradley. However, ravenous tackling where they hunted hungrily in packs, curtailed any real openings for the men in maroon. Bradley, eventually, jinked one way then the other before dinking over his first point of the half to see Slaughtneil run in 1-3 to 0-4 up at the break.

Half-time: Steelstown 0-04 - 1-03 Slaughtneil

A Shane O’Connor point opened the second half and left just a point between the sides. However, better was to follow when a mighty two pointer from exciting young prospect Deery handed Steelstown the lead for the first time in the contest. In a tightly fought third quarter, the two proponents went score for score. Eamon Cassidy pointed for the Emmet’s, before another huge effort from Deery – this time just inside the arc – kept the Brian Og’s ahead.

Peter McCullagh pulled his side level, then that man Deery skinned his marker and clipped over 6th point of the afternoon.

However, Slaughtneil soon drew level through substitute Deaglan McNamee. A Fergal Bradley free would return the lead to the south Derry side at 1-7 to 0-9.

Ominously, though, in between those two scores manager Mark Doran would witness his side first win then miss a 44th minute penalty. Roving defender Paul McNeill was upended in the Steelstown box only to see his team mate Peter McCullagh skew the spot kick just off target.

It would prove a pivotal moment in the match. Having wriggled off the line, the Brian Og’s enjoyed the much better final quarter. Shane ‘Soc’ O’Connor pointed after a quick counter before Ryan Devine converted a huge two pointer to see the hosts 0-12 to 1-7 up.

Cathal O Mianain pointed for Slaughtneil, as, with the game in the balance, both sides were plagued with any number of wides.

But with No.6 Eoghan Concannon becoming more influential and showing real leadership, Steelstown found a gear to win.

Ryan Devine – another leader of men – hit his third point. Young Deery hit his seventh, this time from a free. But the cherry on top would come from impact sub Caoimhin Wray who burst through unmarked in on goal to drill the O’Neill’s size 5 into the top corner of Jack McCloy’s net in the 60th minute.

It elicited the loudest roar of the day as the clocked ticked into injury-time.

Slaughtneil’s Se McGuigan, finally afforded some space, nailed a last point for his side but, five back, there was no coming back for the Emmet’s.

If not quite venomous, Steelstown’s performance was one of real bite and intensity. And, ultimately, victorious.

Scorers –

Steelstown: Calum Deery 0-7 (4f), Caoimhin Wray 1-0, Ryan Devine 0-3, Shane O’Connor 0-2, Shea Ferguson 0-1, Daniel McAteer 0-1

Slaughtneil: Christopher Bradley 1-1, Cahal McKaigue 0-2, Cathal O Mianain 0-1, Eamon Cassidy 0-1, Peter McCullagh 0-1, Fergal Bradley 0-1 (1f), Se McGuigan 0-1, Deaglan McNamee 0-1

Steelstown: Mickey McKinney, Ruairi McShane, Ryan McCloskey, Shea Ferguson, Ronan Canavan, Eoghan Concannon, Corey McGuinness, Shane O’Connor, Daniel McAteer, Karl Doherty, Ryan Devine, Odhran Campbell, Gareth Logue, Calum Deery, Ellis Deery. Subs; Aidan McLaughlin for O Campbell (44), Caoimhin Wray for E Deery (52)

Slaughtneil: Jack McCloy, Karl McKaigue, Fionnbharr McGuigan, Paul McNeill, Cathal O Mianain, Chrissy McKaigue, Eamon Cassidy, Patsy Bradley, Cahal McKaigue, Connor McAllister, Peter McCullagh, Proinsias Burke, Fergal Bradley, Se McGuigan, Christopher Bradley. Subs: Ruairi McCartney for Ca McKaigue (HT), Deaglan McNamee for P Burke (45)

Referee: Aidan McAleer

GAME AT A GLANCE:-

MAN OF THE MATCH - Calum Deery really announced his arrival on the Division One club scene with an outstanding display of inside forward play. With enough gelignite in his feet to blow open a notoriously tight Slaughtneil defence, Deery, with an impressive 0-07, shouldered half of his side’s point haul that included a shuddering two point free.

Cahal McKaigue was very good for Slaughtneil before being replaced at half-time, while goal scorer Sammy Bradley saw a second goal effort well saved near the end.

In truth, however, most of the big displays were in blue. Ronan Canavan acquitted himself well, alongside Concannon at half back. Ryan Devine, Shane O’Connor and Daniel McAteer were all very good in the middle third for the winners.

SCORE OF THE MATCH - Both goals were easy on the eye – Sammy Bradley’s opener and Caoimhin Wray’s major in the second half. Shea Ferguson’s point was a fine individual effort, while Calum Deery nailed a few clinkers. Best of all, probably, was Ryan Devine’s big two pointer. On a day when Steelstown fielded umpteen exciting young guns, it was the old dog for the hard road that takes this award.