Slaughtneil overpower St John's to retain Ulster SHC title 

The six-time champions will now face Galway champions Loughrea as they aim to secure a first ever All-Ireland final berth.

FEELS SO GOOD:The Slaughtneil team celebrate with the trophy after the AIB Ulster GAA Hurling Senior Club Championship final match between Slaughtneil of Derry and St John's of Antrim at BOX-IT Athletic Grounds in Armagh. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Ulster Club SHC final: Slaughtneil 0-23 St John’s 0-10 

Slaughtneil made it a sixth Ulster title with a convincing win over St John’s of Antrim on Saturday night in Armagh. It takes the Derry Kingpins into joint second place with Ballycastle the roll of honour.

They will now face Galway champions Loughrea as they aim to secure a first ever All-Ireland final berth.

With 10 points from Cormac O’Doherty, they eased to victory against a side who relied on Oisin MacManus for scores. The Johnnies would end with 14 men after Oisin Donnelly’s dismissal late on.

St John’s had the ball over the bar in the opening seconds with the first of five MacManus points in the opening half.

When Ryan McNulty was blown for too long, Shéa Cassidy levelled the game before Sé McGuigan fired over when a long ball from Shane McGuigan wasn’t cleared.

Both teams were playing with an extra man at the back and it was Slaughtneil’s defence who closed out the Johnnies’ threat. MacManus hit all their scores, with their first from play coming two minutes before the break.

The score of a scrappy half came from Shane McGuigan, after Sé McGuigan and Eamon Cassidy’s build-up play and the Derry champions led 0-9 to 0-5 at the break.

It was point for point early in the second half with St John’s unable to back up a score before a second Rogers point put Slaughtneil 0-12 to 0-7 ahead.

Three more O’Doherty frees eased the champions into a 0-16 to 0-8 with 11 minutes to play. O’Doherty, McKaigue and substitute Proinsias Burke all added scores to cement a commanding win.

Scorers for Slaughtneil: C O’Doherty 0-10 (9f), Shéa Cassidy 0-3 (2f), Sé McGuigan, B Rogers, Chrissy McKaigue 0-2 each, Shane McGuigan, C Ó Mianáin, E Cassidy and P Burke 0-1 each 

Scorers for St John’s: O MacManus 0-9 (7f) and S Wilson 0-1 

Slaughtneil: O O’Doherty; F McEldowney, P McNeill, C McAllister; R Ó Mianáin, M McGrath, Shane McGuigan; C Ó Mianáin, Chrissy McKaigue; M McGuigan, Sé McGuigan, E Cassidy; B Rogers, C O’Doherty, Shéa Cassidy 

Subs: J McGuigan for Shéa Cassidy (40), P McCullagh for E Cassidy (52), C Coyle for McGrath (55), G Bradley for Sé McGuigan (58), P Burke for Chrissy McKaigue (60) 

St John’s: D Nugent; R McNulty, Ciaran Johnston, J Bohill; C Morgan, P McCallin, E McGurk; S Wilson, A Bradley; O Donnelly, Conor Johnston, C Bohill; D Carson, S Shannon, O Mac Manus 

Subs: M Bradley for A Bradley (45), C Hanna for McCallin (57), M Dudley for Carson (60) 

Referee: P Owens (Down)