AIB Ulster Senior Club Football Championship final: Eoghan Rua, Kilcoo (Down) v Robert Emmet’s, Slaughtneil (Derry) (tomorrow, 2.30pm, Páirc Esler)
AS it was in the end, so it shall be in the beginning.
It’s been just shy of 11 months since Slaughtneil got the better of Kilcoo in a gritty Ulster final in Armagh, and here we are now with the pair of them ready to meet back at the starting line.
There was so little to separate them last autumn that this almost has the feel of a replay about it. And when that is the case, it almost always comes down to who improves the most from the first day.
Kilcoo have displayed the ability in recent seasons to navigate Down without undue stress. For the sixth year running, what Paul McIver’s men have done is what matters.
There was a bit of added pressure this time as they sought to equal Burren’s six-in-a-row against the resurgent St Mary’s themselves but they weathered the early storm and took control after half-time in the county final.
Whether it’s wise or not to read too deeply into their performances in Down, their championship scoring average has dropped from 2-13 per game last year to just over 1-11 this term. They’ve also scored just four goals compared to 14 (albeit with one extra game) last season.
And whether they can score enough is the big question for Kilcoo, as it is for any side with ambitions to beat a Slaughtneil side going for its third Ulster title in four years. Only Scotstown have beaten them in Ulster since 2014.
Ryan Johnston’s absence could be particularly damaging given that his languid style could well have forced the Emmet’s into reshaping their defence.
Conor Laverty is still the go-to man for the Mourne side and Jerome Johnston is a similarly tricky customer, so those two are likely to be up against Paul McNeill and Karl McKaigue respectively.
Paul Devlin played inside last year and had little joy out of Brendan Rogers, but has been playing well out as a playmaker this summer and is more likely to be in against Chrissy McKaigue.
That leaves Rogers potentially up against Dylan Ward, who made headlines with his four-point haul and subsequent man-marking job on Kevin McKernan in the county final. The 20-year-old could well be the ace in the pack but the match-ups all seem natural fits for Mickey Moran.
The same can easily be said at the other end. Niall Branagan and Darragh O’Hanlon were superb in last year’s meeting, restricting Sé McGuigan and Cormac O’Doherty to a passing influence in the game.
Slaughtneil struggled to deal with the bombing runs of Darryl Branagan in particular, though the absence of one of the five brothers Aaron is a blow.
There is very little to separate them and that is why there has been a storm whipped up by Kilcoo this week over their perception of Slaughtneil’s ability to manufacture frees in front of goal.
The words have served to ratchet up the pressure, not least on poor referee Niall Cullen, who you sense is already on a loser no matter how well he manages this game.
The interesting statistic is that Kilcoo have got a larger percentage of their scores from frees this season than Slaughtneil. Their 0-14 (13 frees and one pointed penalty) makes up just under 20 per cent of their total of 4-59 in five games, while from four outings the Derry champions have scored just 17 per cent of their scores from frees (1-9 from 7-49).
Worryingly for the rest, Slaughtneil have looked a better side this year than at any point in the last four summers. Whether that is down to a declining overall standard in Derry or simply that they have improved again is another question that will only be answered in the future.
But they will still be the team that sets the agenda tomorrow. They will play the way they play and Kilcoo will be challenged to adapt, rather than the other way around.
One of the key elements for the All-Ireland finalists has been their kickouts. Their method of restart is superb and very difficult to close down.
Their six defenders congregate within 50 yards, all around the centre of the goal and when Antoin McMullan is ready, they split to the wings at pace. It’s often a 20-yard kick but it secures possession almost 100 per cent of the time, and is exceptionally difficult to counteract.
Kilcoo loaded the middle against Burren to achieve parity but it will require a completely different tact tomorrow.
These are the kind of little conundrums that make beating Slaughtneil more than just a simple case of winning individual battles.
There is little doubt that, as with last year, Kilcoo will win a lot of them.
If they can get a better handle on Shane McGuigan that would be a massive step too, but in hitting 3-12 from play – including 2-3 in the county final win over Ballinascreen – he has displayed proof that he is continuing to improve.
But all the evidence suggests that the reigning champions will have enough to fight their way through the fire and brimstone that is almost certain to manifest.
