It took every ounce of energy, resilience, skill and desire, but Slaughtneil came through in a game for the ages after extra-time in Armagh on Saturday to finally get over the line against Cushendall on the provincial stage.
Last year, the Antrim champions had their number in the final, but the Derry men exacted their revenge in a game that will live long in the memory with both fighting tooth and nail in an epic battle under the floodlights.
Both sides had 11 different scorers with Slaughtneil’s Brendan Rogers getting into a flow at key stages, Jack Cassidy in fine form, while Cormac O’Doherty found his range after a difficult spell in the second period.
They thought they had it won in normal time, up stepped Neil McManus to find a goal with the last act – just as he did at the same stage last year against Portaferry – to force extra-time, but this time the Ruairi Og men couldn’t carry the momentum with them as Slaughtneil found the answers.
“I told the boys they were going to have to do more than expected today and that turned out to be extra-time,” said the Keady native.
“Throughout the season at training, I’d spoken about having to go to extra-time at some stage, so soak it up. They just reached down inside and found that extra level they have been to for the past 10 or 12 years.
“They know how to get out of tight spots. They were composed, skills were incredible and the quality was incredible, so I’m thrilled because of the work they’ve put in.
“They were disappointed last year, disappointed against Dunloy (in 2022). Those boys are winners and when they win, they want more. It was just a privilege to be a part of it.”
The Derry champions flew out of the traps with the opening three scores through Shea Cassidy, Sé McGuigan and Ruairí Ó Mianáin.
Neil McManus carried the fight for Cushendall in the opening half with 1-7 on the board by the break and he got them off the mark but Slaughneil cracked off the next four with Jack Cassidy grabbing two of his five in the opening period.
Cushendall grew into it with the next four, but Slaughneil responded in kind with an inspirational effort from Brendan Rogers the pick as they refused to show signs of dropping off after their flying start and again led by six.
But McManus was popping up everywhere and grabbed a goal his side needed when his strength got him onto a dropping ball that broke around the square and he finished before adding a point seconds later.
But Slaughtneil again had an answer as Meehaul McGrath broke forward and although it seemed he ran out of road, Cushendall defenders Liam Gillan and Ruairi McCollam collided with McGrath gathering and slipping to Eamon Cassidy to blast home.
It was score-for-score heading into the final minutes with the Antrim side scoring the odd one in seven, but Slaughtneil took a deserved 1-16 to 1-12 lead into the break after a breathtaking opening half.
There was no let-up after the break with Fred McCurry pointing nine seconds in and they were level as McManus grabbed his second goal when getting onto the end of a dropping Scott Walsh ball.
Sean McAfee helped them into the lead for the first time as the sides started to slug it out again with the teams level heading down the stretch.
Slaughtneil appeared to break for home with four scores on the spin having spurned a number of chances and they led by as many entering stoppage time.
A McManus free left one in it and then with their final chance, Slaughtneil appeared to have cleared a floated 65 but McManus got another go and he let fly from outside the D, the ball going through a ruck of bodies and taking a deflection as it ended up in the net to send the game to extra-time with it standing 3-21 to 1-27.
It could have been a crushing blow for Slaughtneil as it was for Portaferry who suffered the same fate against Cushendall one year previous, but they took a two-point lead into the turn of ends with Ó Mináin and O’Doherty hitting two apiece and this time finished the job with four of the five points in the second period including Rogers’ seventh to see the Derry men through.
“The culture we have in our club is that when things get tough, we just knuckle down but came up short today,” said Cushendall manager, Brian Delargy.
“When you go to the dressing room ahead of extra-time, that’s living. The buzz and everybody thinking we’re back again like we were last year against Portaferry. We came back out and Slaughtneil hit two points and that took the buzz out of it a bit, but the boys died with their boots on.”