If anyone doubted Slaughtneil’s desire to win more silverware, they delivered an empathic retort in Corrigan Park on Sunday.
When Colm McDonald’s full-time whistle sounded, many Portaferry fans had already headed for the exit gates and 19 points separated the champions of Derry and Down.
Ulster Club Championship games aren’t meant to be as one-sided, but Mickey McShane believes a much tougher test awaits his side in the provincial final next month.
Read more: Recap as Slaughtneil rout Portaferry to set up Ulster final date with Dunloy
Antrim champions Dunloy lost the 2019 Ulster final to Slaughtneil and suffered a semi-final loss to the same opposition last season.
“I am expecting another very tough game. We have beaten them the last three times we have played them in the Ulster Championship and I know that has been very sore on them,” said McShane.
“They will be hell-bent on revenge and getting one over on us. I used to say to the Slaughtneil lads, you bang on the door long enough, you will get in, and Dunloy will be thinking that.
“But we are very determined this year to win a third in a row. I said it often and I said it this week, the biggest compliment I can give these Slaughtneil lads is that they realise they are riding the crest of a wave and it won’t be that way forever.
“They are hell-bent on winning as much as they can in football and hurling and have shown no sign this year of suppression of their appetite. If anything, I have seen it getting better with the young boys coming in.”
Indeed, McShane believes that his class of 2022 is among the very best squad he has assembled during his tenure with the Derry club.
“We have seen that all year and I said that in the build up to the game. This is the strongest panel we have ever had in the eight years I have been there.” added McShane.
“We have the likes of Peter (McCullagh), Ruairí (Ó Mianáin), Shéa Cassidy coming in and making a serious effort at training to come into the team and showing really, really well.
“It was a difficult decision (selecting the team against Portaferry) because the likes of Gerard Bradley, he is twice Ulster hurler of the year in the last few years.”
Leading 0-10 to 0-5 after a cagey first half, Slaughtneil surged clear in the second half thanks to goals from Brian Cassidy and substitute Jerome McGuigan.
“You want to be ruthless. You want to get on top and when you are on top, put the foot on the throat and keep it there,” said the Slaughtneil boss.
“I was disappointed in the second half because we hit a few wides and the next day we are going to need them.
“At the same time, some of the scores we took in the second half were top class. Jerome’s goal was a thing of beauty, Shane’s work out in the corner to play it in and Jerome’s finish to the top corner was quality.
“We had a strong second half performance, I felt it took us 15 minutes to get up to the speed of the game and get the ring-rust off us, playing against the breeze. At half time we were five up, going out to play with the breeze and feeling comfortable.
“I like the fact we kept it going to the end.”
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