Slaughtneil braced for 'huge challenge' against Portaferry

Slaughtneil take on Portaferry in a repeat of last year’s provincial decider at the Box-It Athletic Grounds on Sunday afternoon in the AIB Ulster Senior Hurling Championship semi-final.

The Down heavyweights recently lifted their twenty-fifth county crown, their fourth in a row, after overcoming the challenge of Ballygalget a fortnight ago. Slaughtneil, meanwhile, claimed their thirteenth Fr Collins Cup in succession with a comfortable win over Kevin Lynches in early October.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s clash with the Down champions, Slaughtneil manager Paul McCormack said he’s under no illusions about the magnitude of the challenge facing his side in the Ulster semi-final.

Last year’s provincial final was a thrilling affair, with the Derry men eventually pulling away from Portaferry to secure a 2-19 to 1-19 victory.

“Portaferry are going to be a huge challenge because you could argue they should have beaten us last year,” McCormack said. “We came with a late run and timed it right. We were in serious difficulty for a lot of the first half. I remember saying to the other men on the sideline that we needed to get into the dressing room at halftime, get reset, and go again.

“It took us a while to get into our groove, but they’re a very strong team. Down champions, historically and traditionally, always show well in the Ulster Championship.

“Nothing will be taken for granted. The fact that we’ve met recently means we know each other well; it’ll be a very tough game.”

Slaughtneil’s dominant 3-24 to 1-10 victory over Kevin Lynches sealed their thirteenth consecutive county title and a place in Ulster once again. They’ve faced the Dungiven side in six of the past seven Derry finals and now seek to defend their provincial crown for the second time ever, having last done so in 2017.

McCormack praised his players’ consistency and professionalism in maintaining such remarkable standards over more than a decade.

“Thirteen years in a row to constantly be at your best, it’s incredible,” he said. “You can see why the new knockout groups are there, to give teams more games.

“This year’s group stage challenged us a bit more compared to last year. We had to really rise to beat Lynches; they built up a good bit of steam and really came to that final to challenge us, but thankfully we were ready.

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“The fellas who are leading the way in the team, that’s down to their hard work and dedication over the years. The older heads have certainly raised the bar each season, and everyone else is trying to keep up and drive the standards.

“This year we were probably more stretched than ever in terms of injuries. It’s not easy, because when everyone is available, there are a lot of disappointed men — and that’s probably the hardest part of the job.”

The Derry kingpins suffered heartbreak at the All-Ireland semi-final stage last year, losing to Cork’s Sarsfields by the narrowest of margins. On the stroke of full-time, Mark McGuigan’s effort drifted agonisingly over the crossbar as the Ulster champions fell 0-18 to 0-17.

It was the fifth occasion on which Robert Emmet’s came undone at the semi-final stage. Yet for McCormack and his squad, flying the flag for Derry hurling on the national stage carries its own sense of pride and purpose.

Last year’s Ulster Championship games were shown live on television, helping to showcase and shine a light on the standard of hurling that exists within the province

“It shines a spotlight on hurling in Derry, which is good for the younger generation to see a team from the county competing at a high level,” McCormack said. “It can also raise the bar. Teams are obviously trying to chase and compete, and that drives standards. It’s hard work, but it’s something to aspire to. I’ve no doubt it’s difficult and a slow process at times.

“It’s a bit like Crossmaglen in Armagh; they were so dominant for so long, and then other teams raised their standards. That ultimately raised the bar across the county, and it feeds into the county team as well. It’s definitely an advantage to any county to have a club competing at the very highest level.”