Sport

Dunloy & Slaughtneil saunter into Ulster SHC final

Dunloy's Eoin O'Neill celebrates a score during Sunday's Ulster Club SHC semi-final against Ballycran  
Dunloy's Eoin O'Neill celebrates a score during Sunday's Ulster Club SHC semi-final against Ballycran   Dunloy's Eoin O'Neill celebrates a score during Sunday's Ulster Club SHC semi-final against Ballycran  

Ulster Club SHC semi-finals: Cúchulainn’s, Dunloy (Antrim) 2-23 St Joseph’s, Ballycran (Down) 0-11; Slaughtneil (Derry) 1-17 Middletown (Armagh) 0-8

DUNLOY were head and shoulders above Ballycran at the Athletic Grounds on Sunday, with two superb scores from Paul Shiels helping them into a seven-point lead at the break, 1-7 to 0-6.

And any lingering hopes of a Ballycran comeback were crushed just a minute into the second-half when Gerard Hughes caught Nigel Elliott with his stick, earning himself a red card and forcing the Dunloy attacker off the field temporarily with a nasty looking cut. He returned in inspired form, however, firing over three second-half points from play. With Shiels now dropping back as the spare man, picking up any loose ball going, it was one-way traffic for the rest of the game.

Ballycran managed just three more points after Hughes’ red compared to 1-12 for Dunloy, young sub McGrath drilling into the bottom corner for their second goal two minutes from time as the Cúchullain’s cantered across the line.

A workmanlike performance from Slaughtneil was enough to see off Armagh’s Middletown and send the Derry champions through to their third Ulster final in four years. Despite never hitting top gear, the Robert Emmet’s outfit were quicker, slicker and stronger all over the pitch. Spearheaded by mobile frontman and deadeye free-taker Cormac O’Doherty (0-9), they had the spadework done by the end of the first quarter.

Underdogs Middletown came back into the game impressively from then until the break, but Se McGuigan’s goal just before half-time and the dismissal of their lone scorer David Carvill midway through the second half were key moments as Slaughtneil progressed with a dozen points to spare.

MATCH STATS


Dunloy: R Elliott; P Duffin, C McKinley, Kevin Molloy; E Smyth (0-1), R McGarry (0-1), K McKeague; P Shiels (0-2), C Kinsella; N Elliott (0-4), N McKeague (0-3), C Brogan (0-1); E O’Neill (0-1), C Cunning (1-7, 0-2 65, 0-4 frees), Keelan Molloy (0-3); Subs: G McTaggart for C Brogan (37), S Elliott for E O’Neill (43), R Molloy for K Molloy (52), A McGrath (1-0) for C Cunning (54), J McKeague for P Shiels (56); Blood sub: S Elliott for N Elliott (31, reversed 39); Yellow card: C McKinley (34)


Ballycran: S Keith; M Hughes, P Hughes, G Hughes; B Nicholson, P Flynn, S Ennis; S Nicholson, P Savage; M Ennis, C Woods (0-6, 0-4 frees), L Savage (0-5); S Martin, C McManus, C Egan; Subs: J Coyle for C McManus (35), B Ennis for S Martin (44), C McAllister for S Nicholson (45), N Breen for C Egan (49); Red card: G Hughes (31)


Referee: J Clarke (Cavan)


Att: 3,553

Slaughtneil: Morgan McEldowney; K McKaigue, S Cassidy, Martin McEldowney; S McGuigan, S Ó Caiside, M McGrath; G Bradley (0-1), C McKaigue (0-1); M McGuigan, C O’Doherty (0-9, 0-7 frees), B Rodgers (0-2); S McGuigan (1-0), J McGuigan, B Cassidy (0-2); Blood sub: C McAllister for K McKaigue (11), K McKaigue for C McAllister (12); Subs: C McAllister for Martin McEldowney (41), G O’Kane for S McGuigan (52), C McKenna for J McGuigan (53), P Kearney for McGrath (69)


Middletown: F Woods; L Woods, T Nevin, O Curry; P Hughes, S Gaffney, P Lappin; P McBride, K McKernan; D Carvill (0-8, 0-7 frees), N Curry, M Maguire; D Gaffney, R Gaffney, M Moan; Blood sub: M McClatchey for R Gaffney (14), R Gaffney for M McClatchey (16); Subs: C Carvill for Curry (43), M McClatchey for Maguire (48), C McCann for Moan (65), S Óg McGuinness for D Gaffney (69)


Referee: C McDonald (Antrim)