McCormack States Slaughtneil Needs ‘Another Level’ for Semi-Final

Slaughtneil manager Paul McCormack has stated that his team will need to achieve “another level” of performance to contend with Cork’s Sarsfields in the upcoming All-Ireland Club Hurling semi-final on Sunday. McCormack led Slaughtneil to their first Ulster Club title in three seasons, securing it by defeating Portaferry in the provincial final after previously overcoming the reigning champions, Cushendall, in the semi-final. The Robert Emmet’s club secured their fifth provincial title within eight seasons, achieving this through consecutive compelling wins against last year’s champions, Cushendall, and Portaferry. Nevertheless, McCormack indicated that an even greater effort would be necessary to match the Munster champions at Newbridge, with the match scheduled for 13:30 GMT. Speaking to BBC Sport Northern Ireland, the former Armagh dual player remarked, “It’s a Derry hurling team against a Cork team.” He added, “We’re under no illusions about the standard we need to get to. The challenge is can they get to that standard. The altitude has got thinner and we’re just looking to go that one more step.” Despite Slaughtneil having been defeated in all four of their prior All-Ireland semi-final appearances, McCormack expressed confidence that his players could “draw on the experience of being here before.” He further stated, “Unfortunately, the step up the last number of times was a bridge too far. “Will it be the same on Sunday? Who knows but one thing I know for sure is that those men will be putting all their energies and everything they have into that jersey to play well in Newbridge.” The Slaughtneil squad features numerous dual players, and McCormack indicated his understanding of their “psyche,” having himself managed both football and hurling during his own career. The Armagh native, McCormack, appeared to face a challenging undertaking when he assumed the Slaughtneil position after Michael McShane’s departure last December. McShane had previously led the Robert Emmets team to their initial Ulster success in 2016, accumulating an additional three provincial titles and nine consecutive Derry championships during his tenure. However, McCormack accomplished a feat in the Ulster Club Championship that eluded even McShane, orchestrating a win against Cushendall, a team that had previously inflicted four provincial defeats on the Derry side, the Ruairi Ogs. Following that semi-final triumph, McCormack’s team staged a comeback from a seven-point deficit at half-time to narrowly defeat Portaferry in a thrilling Ulster Final. Having personally balanced both football and hurling throughout his career, which included his involvement in Joe Kernan’s Armagh All-Ireland winning panel in 2002, the Keady native is well-acquainted with the significant workload willingly undertaken by the numerous dual players within the Slaughtneil squad. He elaborated, “It probably gave me an insight into the players psyche and what they wanted to do.I’ve said this as a player myself, hurling, football…..where’s the next game? How can I prepare for it. Who is the next challenge against? “That’s what I see there from those fellows. They just want to play games. Represent Slaughtneil as best they can. Pull on that jersey and go for it.” The comprehensive support from the local community has been a crucial factor in Slaughtneil’s achievements across football, hurling, and camogie for over a decade. McCormack was cognizant of this when he accepted the role, having previously observed the club’s renowned homecoming celebration videos online and in broadcast media. McCormack informed his squad that the “hall would be filled again this year” due to their accomplishments, a prediction that materialized following their Ulster Club Final victory. He recounted, “I said that to the men beforehand that I could see this happening. Just stay with it. This is going to happen. That hall will be filled and you will be walking through it and you will be on the stage.” McCormack concluded, “It was an amazing evening. A privilege to be there. My whole family was there. What an evening and something I’ll remember for a long time but we want another one.”