McGuigan finds knock-out blow for Slaughtneil
IN the space of one November Sunday afternoon, the race for the All-Ireland club championship crystallised in dramatic fashion, the sound of defending champions Dr Crokes crashing out carrying all the way to the Athletic Grounds in Armagh. By the time Slaughtneil’s warrior full-back Brendan Rodgers headed for the dressing-room after the Ulster final, the news was already in: the Kerry champions who defeated them in heart-breaking fashion last St Patrick’s Day were gone. Instead, an All-Ireland semi-final awaits next February against storied Cork club Nemo Rangers. On a day when dual star Rodgers epitomised the achievement of Slaughtneil as the club pulled off a double treble of back-to-back Ulster titles in football, hurling and camogie — a staggering title haul — he spoke of the team ditching any baggage from that final set-back in March. ‘You can never go into any game thinking of baggage. Had we got Crokes, it would have been another game. It’s a new team, something exciting. We’ve a chance to go clean slate, really go at it. ‘We certainly want to push on. We play Nemo Rangers next. They are a formidable test. We definitely have a long winter ahead of us as regards preparation.’ They were full value yesterday for what was a third Ulster football crown in four seasons. As a sign of how they roll? When full-back Rodgers picked up a ball just outside his own 20 metre line just seven minutes in, he decided to take on direct marker Paul O’Connor, skinning him around the outside. After thundering up half the length of the pitch in front of the main stand, all the way to within shooting distance, he opted to lay it off to Sé McGuigan who tailed the ball wide. The run represented some gumption, some statement of intent. While the end-product summed up an uncharacteristic wayward streak in that first half — McGuigan, Padraig Cassidy, and Ronan Bradley all spurned goalscoring opportunities — it was another tearaway Rodgers run that set up the killer goal. A speculative high ball in around the Slaughtneil square broke to goalkeeper Antóin McMullan who set in train a stunning counter-attack that ended with Shane McGuigan tucking the ball low to the net in the 38th minute. Coming on the back of three rapid-fire points from Chrissy McKaigue, Brian Cassidy and Ronan Bradley, Cavan Gaels’ half-time deficit of 0-7 to 0-4 was suddenly an insurmountable nine. Credit to a team looking to become the first from Cavan to lift senior provincial silverware, they showed character to keep the game some way alive. Seanie Johnston showed a bit of class by slotting two frees with both left and right foot and Martin Dunne curled another. When Niall Smith boomed over arguably the score of the match, it was a five-point game. Shane McGuigan, though, stamped his own quality all over proceedings, a looping left-foot effort on the turn from the best player on show the signal for Slaughtneil to wrestle control once more. If finished with the Derry champions playing keep-ball at their leisure, content to run down the clock. ‘You are probably looking at the All-Ireland champions there if they keep their heads,’ stated Cavan Gaels manager Jason O’Reilly afterwards. They will take some stopping.