Disappointment for Ulster champions Sleacht Néill as Sarsfields ride their luck in All-Ireland semi-final

AIB All-Ireland Club SHC semi-final

Sarsfields (Cork) 0-18 Sleacht Neill (Derry) 0-17

ONE of those moments when time stands still. The spectators held their breath when Sleacht Neill, a point behind with injury-time running out, created their best goal chance of a breathless game.

It seemed all Mark McGuigan had to do was to hit the target to book the Derry and Ulster champions’ passage to a first-ever All-Ireland final. McGuigan, on the edge of the square, pulled on the ball as the ‘keeper rushed off his line but the sliothar flashed over the bar instead of into the net.

The Sleacht Neill half-forward, who had worked tirelessly for his club throughout an even-steven battle, sank to his knees in disappointment. His team-mates did the same because they feared their chance had gone. It had.

This was Sleacht Neill’s fifth loss in an All-Ireland semi-final and the pain of losing it will linger. Had McGuigan’s shot gone in, had Jack O’Connor been sent off for a high tackle on Cormac O’Doherty…

Ifs, buts and maybes on a disappointing day for the Derry club who were roared on by the brilliant supporters who made the 300-mile round trip to revamped St Conleth’s Park.

Sarsfields burst out of the traps. Colm McCarthy, who started in midfield, won the throw-in, swapped passes with Daniel Hogan and ran straight at the Sleacht Neill posts. He drilled in a low shot but Oisin Doherty watched it well and dived left to bat the sliothar away after 20 seconds.

The Derry men scrambled the ball away but only as far as Aaron Myers who gave the scoreboard operator his first bit of work inside the first minute.

Hogan added a free after Cian Darcy was fouled but Sleacht Neill were there to scrap and battle and Finn McEldowney’s tigerish pressure stopped the next Sarsfields attack. Shane McGuigan was fouled and Cormac O’Doherty got the air horns blaring and flags waving when he split posts from the free.

Hogan added another free for Sarsfields and then the clubs took turns to dominate proceedings. Sleacht Neill hit four in-a-row (three O’Doherty frees) and one from play from Shea Cassidy and then the Corkmen hit back with five on the spin to take a three-point lead.

Jack O’Connor, their most consistent forward, got two of them, Hogan added two frees and Bryan Murphy joined the attack to add another as the first-time Munster champions moved into a three-point (8-5) lead with the break in sight.

But Sleacht Neill used the last couple of minutes of the half productively. O’Doherty, who had missed a couple of frees, nailed a 65 and then Shane McGuigan got forward to leave just one in it at the interval.

And it was McGuigan who wiped out the remaining arrears early in the second half when he broke down the right wing and split the posts on the run.

From there on it was tit-for-tat and every ball was a battle as the tackles flew in.

Cathal McCarthy and Shane McGuigan clashed in the middle of the field and McCarthy had limped off for treatment when Myers slashed the free over the bar to regain the lead for his club.

O’Doherty replied with a free of his own a couple of minutes later after Rogers had been fouled and then the Derry dual star was back in his own half-back line to win the ball and work it up to Se Cassidy who was taken down by Conor O’Sullivan as he turned to shoot.

O’Doherty did the needful from the free but he was then caught high and late by O’Connor as he cleared the ball.

The Sleacht Neill management were rightly incensed by the challenge but O’Connor escaped with a yellow card – the fourth Cork man to be booked.

The sides swapped wides before Eamon Cassidy – after more great work from Rogers – tapped over to leave two in it and Meehaul McGrath and Ruairi O Mianain points either side of a Myers free left Sleacht Neill three ahead and looking well placed to kick on to victory.

But a couple of substitutions breathed fresh life into the Sarsfields challenge and they began to get on top in midfield and turn the tide.

Myers scored again after Cillian Roche had punched a hole in the Sleacht Neill defence and then Rogers flashed a shot wide when he could have done better.

Sarsfields made the most of that let-off. O Mianain dived in desperately to get his hurl in as Hogan threatened to burst clear but the ball broke to O’Connor who flashed it over the bar to leave just a point in it (13-12) as the game boiled up towards its crescendo.

Sleacht Neill manager Paul McCormack was booked as the tension mounted and there were nerves on the pitch too as Shane McGuigan shot wide at one end and Conor O’Sullivan did the same at the other.

But O’Connor didn’t miss when his next chance came and so the game was level with eight minutes remaining and the Rebel county champions took the lead when Bryan Murphy’s long ball somehow found its way into substitute Shane O’Regan’s clutches and he turned and whipped the ball over the bar.

Now it was Sleacht Neill’s turn to show their character.

Eamon Cassidy played in his big brother Shea in front of goal and he smashed a low shot but it was blocked by Roche and Sarsfields calmly played their way out of trouble. Roche played arguably the pass of the game to release Cathal McCarthy up the left wing and he clipped over a fine score to open a two-point gap.

O’Doherty’s free halved the deficit and when the referee penalised O’Connor for handling ball on ground he had a chance to equalise.

“No pressure Cormac,” remarked someone in the crowd.

There was immense pressure of course but O’Doherty’s connection was sweet and the game was level again.

Myers shot crept just inside the post to give Sarsfields the lead and Liam Healy had added another before Shane McGuigan found the space to leave one in it once again.

The breaks just didn’t go for the Derry club. O’Doherty was almost through but Killian Murphy intercepted with his left boot and Cathal McCarthy’s point left Sarsfield two ahead with time almost up.

There was just time for that final twist when O’Doherty passed to McGuigan but the ball went over the bar instead of under it.

The margins are very fine at this level of hurling.

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 (0-4 frees), Cathal McCarthy (0-2); J O’Connor (0-4), Colm McCarthy, A Myers (0-5, 0-2 frees)

Subs S O’Regan (0-1) for Sweeney (42), C Leahy for Leopold (43), K Murphy for E Murphy (50), L Healy (0-1) for Kearney (58)

Yellow cards E Murphy (7), P Leopold (19), B Murphy (34), J O’Connor (39)

Sleacht Néill O Doherty; F McEldowney, C McAllister, P McNeill; R O Mianain (0-1), S Cassidy, Shane McGuigan (0-3); J Cassidy, M McGrath (0-1); Se McGuigan, M McGuigan (0-1), E Cassidy (0-1); S Cassidy (0-1), B Rogers, C O’Doherty (0-9, 0-8 frees, 0-1 65)

Subs C McKaigue for O Mianain (51), G Bradley for McGrath (56), P McCullagh for J Cassidy (58)

Yellow card B Rogers (7)

Referee J Owens (Wexford)