Sarsfield (Cork) 0-18; Slaughtneil (Derry) 0-17
Two teams who were level five times and were fighting for the honour of reaching an All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship final at St Conleths, Newbridge, knew it was a day when the sporting gods would decide the issue.
On this occasion fortune favored the Rebels of Cork who valiantly were defending a two-point lead when a goal opportunity was presented to Mark McGuigan whose intention for a green flag went too high and a point merely narrowed the margin to the minimum at the end of this gripping encounter.
Four-time losers at this stage, Slaughtneil earlier looked like they might get over the line this time when they went three points up but a closing sequence of scores from Aaron Myers, Liam Healy, Cathal McCarthy and ultimately McGuigan, got the Munster champions across the line on this occasion.
So heartache again for the gallant Oak Leaf representatives while Sars reach their first decider ever and bridge a Cork gap of 18 seasons since Newtownshandrum last appeared at the final stage.
After their shock win over Ballygunner in the Munster decider, Sars once again went out intending to getting on the high ground with a plethora of scores. They could have had a goal in the first minute from Colm McCarthy except for a brilliant save by Oisin O’Doherty but Myers was on hand to tap over the rebound and give the southern side a lead which they clearly wanted so as to impose themselves psychologically on their northern foes.
However, driven on by the hurt of previous reverses, Slaughtneil showed a huge appetite and went 0-5 to 0-3 ahead, thanks to four from Cormac O’Doherty.
Sars saw the stake laid down by their opponents and raised it by winning the rest of the half by 0-5 to 0-2 with both Jack O’Connor and Daniel Hogan accounting for two apiece.
That left the half-time score standing at 0-8 to 0-7 but no sooner had the game begun again than Se McGuigan had leveled matters before Myers edged the Corkmen ahead again.
This seemed to spur on the Ulster kingpins who went on a purple patch by outscoring their rivals by five points to one with Cormac O’Doherty notching two per frees. A goal ahead and 15 minutes to go, they threw down the gauntlet to their rivals and asked them to stick or twist.
Sars looked to the line and after Myers raised a white flag, sub Shane O’Regan flashed over to give the Rebel sideline increasing hope of a revival.
Two points up following Cathal McCarthy getting his first white of the days, the pendulum was swinging this way and then that way.
The irrepressible Cormac O’Doherty notched two more from frees and we were even Steven once more with only five minutes left before the hour had elapsed.
Myers, who else, defiantly raised another white flag to nose Sars back in front and then Healy took advantage of a botched puck out to give his side the cushion, if indeed it could be called that of a two point lead.
Shane McGuigan raised northern hopes again before the emerging Cathal McCarthy pushed his side one to the good with the clock now two minutes into the red.
A goal was need for the brave Northern men to wrestle the game in its dying embers but McGuigan flick went over and Cork marched on and Slaughtneil were down and out once more.
Sarsfields: B Graham; P Leopold, C Roche, C O’Sullivan, B Murphy (0-1), E Murphy, L Elliott, C Darcy, D Kearney, J Sweeney, D Hogan (0-4f), C McCarthy, J O’Connor (0-4), C McCarthy (0-2), A Myers (0-5, 0-2f) Subs: S O’Regan (0-1) for Sweeney (42); C Leahy for Leopold (44), K Murphy for E Murphy (50), L Healy (0-1) for Kearney (58).
Slaughtneil: O Doherty; F McEldowney, C McAllister, P McNeil, R Ó Mianain (0-1), S Cassidy, S McGuigan, J Cassidy, M McGrath (0-1), S McGuigan (0-3), M McGuigan (0-1), E Cassidy (0-1), S Cassidy (0-1), B Rodgers, C O’Doherty (0-9f)
Subs: C McKaigue for O’Mianain (51); G Bradley for McGrath (55), P McCullagh for Cassidy (58).
Ref: J Owens (Askamore).
