Leadon Timber Frame Senior Hurling Championship final: Kevin Lynch’s v Slaughtneil (Sunday, Celtic Park, 2pm, live stream on DerryGAA.ie)
LINE them all up, Slaughtneil have knocked them all down in the last seven years. But they’ve had more bother with Kevin Lynch’s than any other team in Ulster.
When Richie Mullan’s final puck dropped agonisingly wide two years ago to let the champions out by a single point in the semi-final, Michael McShane declared it “the toughest championship game in the four years that I have been with the club”.
Last year’s final might have displayed an eight-point margin in the end but there were just two between them heading into stoppage time.
Back in 2014, the day that really marked Slaughtneil’s arrival as the big dog in Derry hurling, they needed two goals in the lengthy period of added time to clasp a two-point win.
The following year, it went to extra-time in the semi-final.
When the Lynches won seven in nine years during the noughties, they never had a proper rivalry. It’d be Slaughtneil one year, Lavey the next, Banagher the next. Nobody consistently challenged them.
And while it feels like there have been two completely different Kevin Lynch's teams over the last seven years, they have been the only serious challenger.
The last couple of years have suggested that it will be these two, and these two alone, for the next while.
Their combined winning margin in the semi-finals was 63 points. Slaughtneil rammed neighbours Swatragh by 40, while Kevin Lynch’s thumped Ballinascreen by 23.
And the latter are the younger of the two sides, with their successful underage teams sprouting up through under Geoffrey McGonigle’s reign.
Slaughtneil were the more impressive of the two in the semi-finals, notably because of their ruthlessness and accuracy up front. Brendan Rogers got four goals and having hit 2-14 by half-time, they added another 3-19 after the break to show how little they ever let up on a team.
Their short hurling was crisp and their point-taking was metronomic.
Kevin Lynch’s hit 3-23 of their own and had the game won by the first water break, with Odhran McKeever doing much of the damage up front and their defence holding firm.
But they hit 18 wides and missed goal chances that they won’t be able to afford tomorrow.
The Dungiven men have never been overawed by Slaughtneil. Defensively, they seem to have a knack. They’ve conceded just one goal a game in the three meetings since 2-14 and the Emmet’s tallies of 2-11, 1-14 and, up until minute 59, 1-17 were not insurmountable.
A lot of the match-ups pick themselves. The only real question mark is whether Liam Hinphey, who did well in the battle last year but is only back out the last few weeks, or Paddy Kelly goes on Brendan Rogers. The other will pick Jerome McGuigan.
Conor Kelly has a big task against the lean and sharp-looking Cormac O’Doherty, while Thomas Brady is likely to move to midfield to resume battle with Chrissy McKaigue, who was outstanding against Swatragh.
The question is whether Kevin Lynch’s can get enough scores. Niall Ferris will be picked up by Shane McGuigan who can match him for pace and power, while Paul McNeill will know if he’s tight on Odhran McKeever, it will go a long way.
Tiarnan McHugh offers them a goal-hanging threat.
On paper, you’d have Slaughtneil to win. But there’s just that thing about Kevin Lynch’s, they’ve no inferiority complex and they will find ways to keep the game close.
But teams with the better forwards tend to win close games, and that’s Slaughtneil’s ace in the hole.
PATHS TO THE FINAL
Slaughtneil
Group stage: Slaughtneil 6-26 Ballinascreen 1-11; Slaughtneil 0-26 Lavey 0-13; Na Magha 3-8 Slaughtneil 1-21
Semi-final: Slaughtneil 5-33 Swatragh 0-8
Kevin Lynch’s
Group stage: Kevin Lynch’s 3-10 Swatragh 0-13; Kevin Lynch’s 2-15 Banagher 1-8; Eoghan Rua 1-7 Kevin Lynch’s 2-20
Semi-final: Kevin Lynch’s 3-23 Ballinascreen 0-9
