"That’s the beauty of this club: we don’t rely on one player" - Slaughtneil's Cormac O’Doherty
Derry inter-county captain and Slaughtneil star Cormac O’Doherty heaped praise on Robert Emmet’s bench and squad depth after the champions survived a scare to secure an unprecedented fourteenth consecutive Fr Collins Cup at the expense of perennial challengers Kevin Lynch’s in the Leadon Timber Frames Derry Senior Hurling Championship final at Owenbeg on Sunday.
The champions had it all to do after Brendan Rogers received a straight red card in the twenty-sixth minute. However, as all great teams do, Slaughtneil found another gear when the need was greatest, leading from the front and shutting out Dungiven’s attack with a huge work rate and swarm tackling to get over the line and continue their defence of their Derry and Ulster crowns.
It was the impact of youth from the bench, as well as the return of Derry inter-county man Meehaul McGrath to the half-back line following Rogers’ dismissal, that ultimately allowed Slaughtneil to find a platform for victory.
Lynch’s pushed the champions to the pin of their collar in a 0-20 to 1-14 victory, the narrowest winning margin in a Derry Senior Hurling Championship final since 2014.
Speaking after the final whistle, a relieved O’Doherty was full of praise for the young guns, as well as the grit of his charges as they continued their remarkable run.
Despite missing a number of household names through injury and playing with 14 men for the entire second half, the champions still found a way to grind out victory.
“The young lads who came off the bench made a huge impact, and, to be fair, I thought we really needed it. That’s the beauty of this club: we don’t rely on one player. At different stages all over the pitch we had different lads stepping up, and those new men did that today (Sunday). Don’t get me wrong, no doubt we made it hard for ourselves, but we found a way as always.
“Every team that’s down a man, you know that you’re going to have to absolutely work your socks off, and to be fair to Dungiven, they asked a lot of questions of us, particularly in the second half when they were chasing the game.
“But I thought our middle eight, our half-forward line, really set the tempo. Getting Meehaul McGrath back off the bench brought us huge energy and that wee spark which we desperately needed towards the end, and thankfully we managed to get over the line.”
“We won by three, and those three points came off the bench. That’s what we ask for every day, and this squad just has unbelievable depth. You look at the likes of Ruairi Ó Mianáin, Finn McEldowney, and Eamonn Cassidy; three huge losses to any team. We certainly felt that today, but that was the chance for whoever came in.
“We asked the question, who’s going to step up? And to be fair to any of the boys who came off the bench, they gave us exactly that, which was exactly what we needed.”
Slaughtneil will now go on to fly the Derry flag in Ulster once again as they go in search of an unprecedented three-in-a-row provincial crowns when they take on the Tyrone champions next month. They will undoubtedly be looking to take their performance up another level as they attempt to continue their remarkable provincial run.
O’Doherty was at his brilliant best, dictating proceedings from the number six position, landing three superb frees and getting his hands on a huge amount of possession. However, despite his own influential performance, he was quick to deflect praise towards his teammates and the depth of the panel, which ultimately got Slaughtneil over the line.
“It’s a team game, and our back six were unbelievable. We conceded a goal at the end, which is really disappointing, but to keep Lynch’s to 14 points for 70 minutes is something that we can be very proud of as a defensive unit.
“Hard work from everyone makes my job that wee bit easier, but the impact of our bench today was just unbelievable. Hopefully now we can push on again and keep improving.”