Slaughtneil wear down underdogs Ballycran

Ballycran got off to a fine start but the Derry men gradually took control

Slaughtneil's Garald Bradley and Cormac O'Doherty celebratesat the final whistle

Ulster SHC Final: St Joseph’s, Ballycran (Down) 0-10 Slaughtneil Emmets (Derry) 1-14 

Slaughtneil Emmets lifted the Ulster senior club hurling championship trophy for the fourth time when comfortably seeing off the challenge of Down champions Ballycran at Corrigan Park, Belfast.

Ballycran looked far from underdogs early on and led by 0-4 to 0-3 on 16 minutes. Stuart Martin got the Down champions off the mark, converting a sideline cut in the opening minute. Shane McGuigan levelled from play before frees from Phelim Savage and Conor Woods had Ballycran two to the good.

Either side of the water break, Slaughtneil began to find their range, closing the gap through Chrissy McKaigue and Cormac O’Doherty, and the Derry men were ahead for the first time on 23 minutes when O’Doherty converted another free.

Savage levelled matters for the fourth time a minute later but the closing five minutes of the half belonged to Slaughtneil who outscored the Down side by four points to one to take a 0-9 to 0-6 lead into the break.

Two O’Doherty frees extended the Slaughtneil lead after the restart with Savage converting a free for Ballycran on 40 minutes. That was to be Ballycran’s last score for 17 minutes however with Slaughtneil adding 1-3 in the same period, Brendan Rodgers with the goal.

Sub Jack Cassidy extended the lead to 10 points with his first touch of the sliotar with Savage stopping the rot for Ballycran. The Down men were reduced to 14 men when midfielder Gerard Hughes received a second yellow card. Ballycran added the final two scores of the game but the Four Seasons Cup was already in the possession of the Emmets who face the Munster champions in the All Ireland semi-final on January 23.

BALLYCRAN: S Keith; B Watson, S Ennis, M Hughes; B Nicholson, C Woods (0-2f), M Ennis; G Hughes, P Savage (0-5f); L Savage, S Martin (0-1 s/line), N Breen; J Clarke, B Arthurs (0-2), C Egan 

Subs: C McAllister for N Breen (43), S Nicholson for C Egan (47) 

SLAUGHTNEIL: O O’Doherty; K McKaigue, S Cassidy, P McNeill; Shane McGuigan (0-1), C McAllister, M McGrath, G Bradley, C McKaigue (0-1); M McGuigan, C O’Doherty (0-7, 6f), B Rodgers (1-1); Sé McGuigan (0-1), J McGuigan (0-2), B Cassidy 

Subs: J Cassidy (0-1) for J McGuigan (54), S Cassidy for B Rodgers (56), G O’Kane for M McGuigan (61) 

Referee: C McDonald (Antrim)