Two goals in the space of a minute midway through the second period helped Slaughtneil complete a remarkable turnaround at the Box-it Athletic Grounds in Armagh on Sunday to claim Ulster Club Hurling honours at the expense of Portaferry.
Leading by eight with 15 to play, it seemed the Down side’s 10-year wait for the Four Seasons Cup was coming to an end, but the Derry champions found the scores they needed to ignite their challenge when they needed it most.
Sé McGuigan and Shéa Cassidy buried past Pearce Smyth and, suddenly, Slaughtneil were a different proposition having been a little flat for three-quarters of this Final, and those majors were the fuel to see them back on top of the pile in Ulster for the first time since 2021.
“Eight down in the second-half, I always felt we had something to come,” said Slaughtneil manager Paul McCormack.
“Hurling is such a peculiar game where one big score can change it, and then to get two in a row was a bonus.
“The first was so important for our mentality, and then we could smell blood and away we went. At that stage, I was confident we’d win the match as we had the momentum, the energy and two sucker-punches Portaferry mightn’t have expected at half-time. The experience and leadership in our team got us over the line.”
The Down champions flew out of the traps with Matthew Conlon hitting the first of his three first-half points within seconds, while Eoghan Sands, Tom McGrattan and Niall Fitzsimmons extended the gap before Slaughtneil finally got on the board through Shane McGuigan.
Portaferry were much the better side throughout, with their defenders swarming around the ball and attacking play much more direct as the scores continued to flow with Finn Turpin chipping in with two points.
They led by six midway through the opening half and could have been further ahead only for a stunning stop by Slaughtneil goalkeeper Pisin O’Doherty from Daithi Sands.
Slaughtneil were perhaps guilty of overplaying the ball when going forward, but their shooting also let them down, with five wides and four shots short in the opening period as their forwards struggled.
Ruairí Ó Mianáin and Jack Cassidy chipped in with scores and Cormac O’Doherty landed a couple from frees, while they were denied a goal late in the half when Tom Murray made a vital stop on the line from Fionn McEldowney.
It took until the 29th minute for their first score by a forward from play as Brendan Rogers got his angles right, but Tom McGrattan’s fifth of the half gave Portaferry a deserved 0-13 to 0-06 interval advantage.
Slaughtneil looked to have more energy in the second period but weren’t making huge inroads into the gap as they got to within five, with the McGuigans, Shane and Sé, pointing, but Portaferry were still on top with McGrattan accurate from play and frees as they moved 0-18 to 0-10 ahead.
Then came the dramatic turnaround as Shane McGuigan played in Sé to crack in the goal they needed, and it got even better one minute later as Shea Cassidy was in on the left and he, too, buried.
Although Daithi Sands replied, points from O’Doherty (two) and Jack Cassidy levelled before Shane McGuigan gave them their first lead of the day.
There was another sting, however, as with 56 minutes on the clock, a McGrattan free dropped and broke out to Portaferry substitute Cathal Coleman to bury.
But Slaughtneil were not to be denied as O’Doherty pointed and then two from Ó Mianáin edged them back ahead, with late scores from Jack Cassidy and Rogers sealing a remarkable win to break Portaferry hearts.
“Two minutes, two goals – the momentum swung,” lamented Portaferry manager Gerard McGrattan.
“That’s why they are a good team and why they have been up at this level for so long. It doesn’t make it any easier for us to take, but we’ll just dust ourselves down and see where we regroup again.”
Slaughtneil now move into an All-Ireland Semi-Final against Sarsfields from Cork, who stunned Ballygunner earlier in the day in the Munster Final.
“We will have a look at Sarsfields this week as best we can, but it’s 95 per cent about us,” McCormack said.
“It’s an opportunity against the Cork champions and another game, which is what we want. What a position to be in.”
Scorers for Portaferry: T McGrattan 0-09 (6f, 2 ‘65s); C Coleman 1-00; M Conlan 0-03; N Fitzsimmons, D Sands and F Turpin 0-02 each; E Sands 0-01.
Scorers for Slaughtneil: C O’Doherty 0-07 (6f, 1 65); Sé McGuigan 1-01; Shéa Cassidy 1-00; R Ó Mianáin, Shane McGuigan, J Cassidy 0-03 each; B Rogers 0-02.
Portaferry: P Smyth; D Mallon, T Murray, R Smyth; B Trainor, C Taggart, C Milligan; M Conlan, S Conlan; N Fitzsimmons, F Turpin, E Sands; D Sands, T McGrattan, N Milligan.
Subs: C Coleman for N Milligan (50), C Savage for C Milligan (50), C Fay for N Fitzsimmons (54), P Doran for B Trainor (56)
Slaughtneil: O O’Doherty; F McEldowney, P McNeill, C McAllister; R Ó Mianáin, C Coyle, Shane McGuigan; J Cassidy, M McGrath; M McGuigan, Sé McGuigan, C O’Doherty; E Cassidy, B Rogers, Shéa Cassidy.
Sub: G Bradley for E Cassidy (49).
Referee: Colum Cunning (Antrim)