Paul McCormack says the Leinster finalists will have an “unfair” advantage in the All-Ireland series with Croke Park hosting next weekend’s clash between Ballyhale and St Martin’s
Slaughtneil hurling manager Paul McCormack(Image: ©INPHO/Andrew Paton)
Slaughtneil manager Paul McCormack feels Croke Park would be the ideal venue for their forthcoming All-Ireland Club SHC semi-final clash with Galway champions Loughrea.
The Derry men retained their Ulster title on Saturday night with a commanding 13-point win over Antrim champions St John’s at the Box-It Athletic Grounds.
It is Slaughtneil’s sixth provincial title since 2016, although they’ve yet to reach the All-Ireland decider – something they’ll be keen to address when they meet Loughrea.
With Croke Park hosting the Leinster Senior Football and Hurling finals in a double-header next Saturday, McCormack feels it only fair that the other provincial winners are brought to HQ.
The 2022 semi-finals were staged in Croke Park as a double-header with the-then Ulster champions Dunloy defeating St Thomas’ while eventual All-Ireland champions Ballyhale edged Ballygunner.
“Croke Park, why not? I think these men are fitting of it,” said McCormack.
“I know the Leinster finalists are playing in Croke Park and that’s maybe an unfair advantage for that province.
“I’m just calling it out as it is. Why not? That’s out of our control. It’s something we can’t do much about.
“Wherever the game is fixed we’ll be there but it would be brilliant to get playing in Croke Park. That’s the ultimate aim for this group.
“This is Slaughtneil’s sixth semi-final and I know we’ll be doing all we can to win that semi-final.”
Slaughtneil have been involved in some brilliant clashes in Ulster at the Armagh venue in recent seasons, but Saturday’s final never really caught fire with both defences on top in an extremely cagey first half.
However, Slaughtneil had a better spread of scorers on the night with nine players contributing to their 23-point tally while St John’s attacker Oisin MacManus scored all but one of his side’s 10 points.
The game was over a contest by the time Oisin Donnelly was sent off late on for a head-high challenge on Cathal Ó Mianáin.
While the likes of Shane McGuigan, Brendan Rogers and Chrissy McKaigue have stepped up in recent games, McCormack was keen to praise the efforts of his defenders for keeping Conor Johnston, Donal Carson and Shea Shannon all scoreless.
“We got our match-ups right I felt, St John’s’ threats from play, and we nullified them as best we could,” added the Slaughtneil boss.
“Oisin MacManus had a really good match and we just kept the scoreboard ticking I suppose and then at one point there was three in it, four in it and then all of a sudden we just keep flowing and we get into our groove, finding men who are running.
“Cathal Ó Miannáin’s point was a tremendous point from the back to the front – from then I felt there was only going to be one winner.
“I thought we had nullified Conor Johnston’s threat and St John’s then really had no other chief scorers.
“Our defence was tremendous, like Paul McNeill, Conor McAllister and then Fionn (McEldowney) of course. And maybe those boys were an unheralded part of the overall jigsaw on our team.
“But those men are absolute competitors and the people that they have marked over the years. Fionn captained his county to an All-Ireland minor Championship on this pitch and there’s no better man to set a challenge to
“He showed again all his qualities of the way he plays and his aggressiveness within the rules of the game and just his desire to win ball. He’s a brilliant lad.”