Slaughtneil Manager McCormack Anticipates Thrilling Final Against Portaferry

Slaughtneil manager Paul McCormack anticipates that Sunday’s Ulster Club Hurling Final against Portaferry will be an exciting encounter. This follows his team’s dramatic extra-time semi-final victory over holders Cushendall two weeks ago, which marked Slaughtneil’s first Ulster Club win in five attempts against them. The Ulster Senior Club Hurling Final between Portaferry and Slaughtneil is set for Sunday, 1 December, with a 17:00 GMT throw-in at the Athletic Grounds in Armagh. The match will be covered with live text commentary, a report, and highlights on the BBC Sport website and app. McCormack, an Armagh native, appeared to confront a challenging assignment when he assumed the Slaughtneil managerial role after Michael McShane’s departure last December. During his tenure, McShane had led the Robert Emmets team to their initial Ulster triumph in 2016, securing an additional three provincial titles and nine consecutive Derry championships. Nevertheless, McCormack accomplished a feat that eluded even McShane in the Ulster Club Championship: orchestrating a win against Cushendall, following the Derry team’s four prior provincial losses to the Ruairi Ogs. Despite this, the Slaughtneil manager emphasizes that substantial effort remains for the final match against Portaferry, a team that seemed poised to defeat Cushendall in last year’s semi-final before ultimately falling in extra-time. “I have no doubt about it [that the final is going to be another epic]. I was here last year [for Cushendall against Portaferry] and they had that match won and just didn’t see it out,” McCormack stated. “So they are coming with a full deck. Another year’s experience for some of those younger fellows and a real ambition to win the Ulster Championship……but we have that too.” Jack Cassidy, a midfielder who was a key performer in Slaughtneil’s victory a fortnight ago, commented that McCormack has performed exceptionally well in his managerial capacity since assuming the position. “To be fair to Michael [McShane] and all those great men, they did amazing things for Slaughtneil hurling and brought a lot of us young boys into the team. We had six under-21s on the team against Cushendall,” Cassidy remarked. “[But] Paul McCormack has come in and given everybody a fresh slate. We’re loving our hurling and let’s just hope the journey keeps going.” Cassidy further mentioned that the Slaughtneil squad was highly motivated for the current season, having experienced consecutive defeats in the Ulster Finals against Dunloy in 2022 and Cushendall last year. “We felt we haven’t shown ourselves over the past two years. We’ve done an awful lot of work between hurling and football this year and it’s been a long year. But we kept saying to ourselves that we knew we had it in us.” Jack Cassidy commended the “never-say-die” spirit of the determined 18-year-old corner-back, Finn McEldowney. Beyond Cassidy’s own performance, the vitality of Slaughtneil’s younger players was exemplified by McEldowney’s resolute showing against the Antrim champions. “We call him the wasp,” Cassidy stated, referring to his fellow dual player McEldowney. “Between football and hurling, his never-say-die attitude is something to take into every strand of life. Not just the hurling pitch. We all look up to him even though he’s probably the smallest man on the pitch.” Brendan Rogers, also a dual player within the Slaughtneil squad, holds the view that the 0-20 to 2-10 final loss to Cushendall last year “fuelled” the younger members of the team for the current season. “A lot of the young boys did play last year or were about the panel. I suppose that was the learning experience they needed,” Rogers mused. “We knew they had the talent and the quality. Sometimes it’s just a case of nurturing that and trying to get the most out of them.” As a senior member of the squad, Rogers acknowledges that he can be “demanding” towards the younger players. “Maybe they hate me for it or hate the older boys for it but it’s because you know there’s so much in them and I’m glad they get to showcase that.”