Slaughtneil fall short in bid to reach first All-Ireland Club Hurling final

Derry champions Slaughtneil were blown away by the challenge of Loughrea, with a devastating final quarter allowing the back-to-back Galway champions to power past Robert Emmet’s and secure their place in next month’s AIB All-Ireland Club Final.

An emphatic 2-22 to 0-15 victory at Parnell Park on Sunday afternoon secured the Galway men safe passage to the decider next month. For Slaughtneil, it was another bitter disappointment, as they once again failed to break their All-Ireland Club semi-final duck, falling short for the sixth time in the history of the tournament.

Despite the final scoreline, the Derry men proved more than capable of challenging Loughrea for long stretches of the match. However, two spectacular goals either side of halftime gave the Galway men the platform to pull away, with their play slicker and sharper amid the very heavy conditions underfoot.

In an unusual twist, Loughrea ended the game with fourteen players after rising star Tiernan Killeen received a straight red card for an off-the-ball clash with Brendan Rogers. Killeen had been outstanding throughout, earning the TG4 Man of the Match award for his midfield dominance, but he now faces almost certain suspension for the All-Ireland decider at Croke Park next month.

At halftime, Loughrea led by just two points, with Anthony Burns’ emphatic 25th-minute goal proving the difference. Slaughtneil, meanwhile, relied on the individual brilliance of Shea Cassidy, who was unerring from placed balls and consistently kept his team in contention.

This marked the third time Slaughtneil had suffered semi-final defeat at Parnell Park, having previously lost to Ballygunner and Na Piarsaigh, while last year Paul McCormack’s men fell by a single point to Sarsfields of Cork in Newbridge.

Loughrea arrived in North Dublin also seeking redemption for last year, when they endured a heartbreakingly similar fate, losing by one point to eventual All-Ireland champions Na Fianna.

The Galwaymen made a rapid start, with Tiernan and Caimán Killeen rattling over two early scores before Martin McManus added a point to give Loughrea a 0-3 to no score lead by the fifth minute.

Conor McAllister soon got Robert Emmet’s on the scoreboard with a long-range effort, only for Tiernan Killeen to restore the Galway advantage with a well-taken free. The opening exchanges were finely balanced, with Cassidy and Tiernan Killeen trading scores. Cassidy then secured a brace of points to leave the scoreboard reading 0-5 to 0-4 in favour of Loughrea by the 13th minute.

Cullen Killeen nudged Loughrea two points ahead, but Cassidy responded to keep Slaughtneil in touch. Shane Morgan and Cassidy added further points, with Cassidy eventually dragging Slaughtneil level at 0-7 apiece in the 22nd minute.

Jamie Ryan responded with a spectacular sideline cut, and Chrissy McKaigue once again levelled for the Derry men. Seconds later, Anthony Burns’ brilliant goal hit the roof of Oisín Ó Doherty’s net, giving Loughrea a three-point cushion.

Robert Emmet’s immediately responded through Cassidy, while Caimán Killeen and Ruairi Ó Mianáin traded points to leave Galway two ahead at halftime, 1-9 to 0-10.

The second half belonged to Loughrea. They outscored their opponents 1-3 to 0-1 to lead 2-12 to 0-11 by the 36th minute, with Vince Morgan rifling a breathtaking goal to stretch the gap to seven.

Mark McGuigan and Cassidy steadied Slaughtneil, and Eamonn Cassidy cut the deficit to five, but that was to be it for the remaining quarter hour. Loughrea went on to hit nine unanswered points, with substitute Neil Keary scoring a hat-trick, putting the game beyond doubt.

By the 59th minute, the scoreboard read 2-22 to 0-14 before Cullen Killeen received a red card for an off-the-ball incident involving Brendan Rogers in stoppage time. Ruairi Ó Mianáin added a consolation point to close out another disappointing semi-final for Slaughtneil.

For Loughrea, it’s onwards to Croke Park for the All-Ireland decider, although they will likely have to do so without Cullen Killeen. Slaughtneil, meanwhile, must reflect on another season where their dominance in Derry and Ulster did not translate to All-Ireland success.

Slaughtneil: Oisin O Doherty, Fionn McEldowney, Paul McNeill, Conor McAllister, Ruairi O Mianain, Meehaul McGrath, Shane McGuigan, Mark McGuigan, Se McGuigan, Eamonn Cassidy, Brendan Rogers, Cormac O’Doherty, Shea Cassidy. Subs: Conor Coyle for Se McGuigan 37 mins, Jerome McGuigan for Cathal O Mianain 37 mins, Peter McCullagh for Mark McGuigan 53 mins, Gerard Bradley for Shea Cassidy 53 mins

Scorers: Shea Cassidy 0-8 (7F), Chrissy McKaigue 0-2, Ruairi O Mianain 0-2, Mark McGuigan 0-1, Eamonn Cassidy 0-1, Conor McAllister 0-1.

Loughrea: Gearóid Loughnane, Paul Hoban, Johnny Coen, Kieran Hanrahan, Brian Keary, Shane Morgan, Joe Mooney, Ian Hanrahan, Cullen Killeen, Caimin Killeen, Tiernan Killeen, Jamie Ryan, Anthony Burns, Vince Morgan, Martin McManus. Subs: Neil Keary for Martin McManus 45 mins, Iain Griffin for Ian Hanrahan 53 mins, Gavin Maher for Brian Keary 55 mins, Luke McInerney for Jamie Ryan 58 mins, Mickey Murray for Vince Morgan 59 mins.

Scorers: Tiernan Killeen 0-6 (4F), Jamie Ryan 0-3, Anthony Burns 1-1, Vince Morgan 1-1, Neil Keary 0-3, Caimin Killeen 0-2, Martin McManus 0-2, Cullen Killeen 0-1, Shane Morgan 0-2 (2F), Kieran Hanrahan 0-1

Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)