Seven scorers, 21 scores, and sixty minutes of manic club hurling; Ballygunner have booked their place in the All-Ireland final having beaten Slaughtneil 2.19 - 1.17.
Darragh O Sullivans team were pushed to the pin of their collar throughout, and despite looking like an ominous tale in the opening moments, the Derry Champions were never going to accept defeat until the final whistle was blown.
Conor Sheehan got the Waterford champions off to the best possible start when he pointed in less than twenty seconds. Billy O' Keefe put a cold sweat down the Derry team's back when he goaled just minutes later.
For a moment, it looked like it could be a total routing as Dessie Hutchinson almost netted three points of his own. Peter Hogan ran across the Slaightneil end line, launched it into Dessie who was in the opposing goalmouth - he jumped and doubled on it but was denied by Oisín Doherty.
Slaughtneil managed to settle and ease their way into the game at that point, getting their first score in the sixth minute through Cormac O Doherty. The uber physical Brendan Rodgers followed that score up with a point of his own to reduce the gap to three.
With the Gunners dominating for the first five minutes, Slaughtneil had dug their heels in and got three points in a row – with Brian Cassidy the third scorer.
Hutchinson and Rodgers traded scores as they approached the 10-minute mark, with Pauric Mahony opening his ledger for the afternoon shortly after. Peter Hogan and Jerome McGuigan were also introduced to the score sheet before the first half water break, with the sides still separated by that O' Keefe goal as they headed for the refreshments.
While Ballygunner had an advantage on the score sheet, Slaughtneil were anything but out of the running; and they even looked the more potent of the two sides as the first half water break. Their delivery of the ball to the forward line was more accurate and Brendan Rodgers was making life hard for Barry Coughlan, while Jerome McGuigan proved to be an able attacker with plenty of pace to offer.
The first score of the second quarter came off the hurley of Pauric Mahony, even though he was being frustrated by Christopher McKaigue who was hassling and harrying at every opportunity.
It took five minutes of the second quarter until Slaughtneil once again appeared on the score sheet - Jerome McGuigan pointing with very little space to operate in.
Pauric Mahony and Cormac O Doherty were busy trading scores while Kevin Mahony drilled over an amazing score of his own in the 24th minute. He didn't have an inch of space to work with, but managed to send it over the black spot to make it a 1.07 to 0.07 game.
Cormac Doherty wasn’t going to allow the gunners get too far out of sight, pointing moments after Mahony’s strike.
The niggle, pulling, and dragging that Slaughtneil had been applying to Ballygunner was reprimanded when Ger Bradley was shown a yellow on the 26th minute.
While they had been penalized for some cynical play, Sé McGuigan didn’t let it slow his roll as he got his first point of the day seconds later and Brian Cassidy had the chance to make it a level game with a sideline cut just before but he couldn't provide the necessary ball.
Hutchinson's point moments before the break made it a 2 point game at 1.08 - 0.09.
While Ballygunner had the lead at halftime, Slaughtneil were never outside touching distance and looked well able to continue fighting to take the lead.
The second half opened up in the exact same manner as the first with Conor Sheehan pointing and Billy O' Keefe drilling to the back of the net moments later. Kevin Mahony provided the ball that was needed, winning the ball near the goalmouth, sending it across the goal to find O' Keefe.
They got lucky in the 34th minute as Barry Coughlan lost the ball in a dangerous area - Brendan Rodgers did all he could do bulldoze his way through the veteran defender, but the ball dribbled over the line and out of play.
Brian Cassidy and Cormac O Doherty made short work of going back-to-back with scores from play, but Peter Hogan followed up to stem the tide with his point in the 35th minute making it a five-point lead once again (2.10 - 0.11).
Slaughtneil captain O' Doherty was busy reducing the gap, but Kevin Mahony secured his third point of the game to revert the captain's efforts, and a free offered to O' Doherty went wide shortly after - which would have brought it to a five-point gap.
Peter Hogan converted a truly great score in the 40th minute - 2.13 – 0-12, making it four scores in a row unanswered for Ballygunner.
Pauric O' Mahony was uncharacteristically off the mark with three attempts at the posts drifting wide, the physical tole that Slaughtneil had been exerting on the All-Star definitely taking its tole at this stage.
We were without a score for six minutes when the 46th minute rolled around, with the game remaining in the middle of the field and both teams battling for possession.
Billy O' Keefe broke the drought shortly after when he sent one over from a very tight angle. Pauric O' Mahony had a chance of a score, but the Slaughteil defence wasn’t going to allow him a sight on goal, he managed to find O' Keefe who was in a better position.
Brian Cassidy and Brendan Rodgers continued to fight to add to their tally, going point for point as they approached the final ten minutes. Slaughtneil were desperate for a goal in the last 10 minutes - were in on goal with Rodgers, but Shane O' Sullivan did what was needed and offered up a professional foul to prevent a goal-scoring chance. O' Doherty put over the free that followed to make it a four-point game with about five minutes left to play.
With 3 minutes of regular time remaining, it was set at 2.15 – 0.17 – four points in it.
While Pauric Mahony had given away a free moments earlier, he was fouled in return as he tried to break loose from the Slaughtneil defence. Billy O' Keefe was on free-taking duties by then and he comfortably sent it over the bar to return Darragh O Sullivan's team to a five-point lead with three minutes of regular time remaining.
"Cometh the man, cometh the hour" and Dessie Hutchinson personified that statement as the game drew to a close. Two quickfire points (his third and fourth of the day) gave his team a six-point lead and enough breathing room to see it out.
While the referee Sean Stack was thinking about putting the whistle to his lips, Meehaul McGrath sent a rasper at Stephen O Keefe but the veteran shot-stopper once again stood tall to deny the Ulster champions the chance to reduce the deficit.
While the game was over, Slaughtneil did get a consolation goal in the last seconds Shane McGuigan hit the back of the net to bring it back to four points, but Kevin Mahony hit his fourth score of the day to put the final nail in the Derry coffin.
When Sean Stack did decide to bring it to a close, Ballygunner had managed to do something they had never done before. Two previous attempts saw them fall short at the semi-final hurdle but after an eye-catching run of games since they lifted the News & Star cup in Walsh Park they have earned the right to play in Croke Park.
We will have to wait and see who meets them at GAA HQ, as Ballyhale and St. Thomas's are (at the time of writing) doing battle in Semple Stadium in the other last-four encounter.
Scorers:
Ballygunner: Conor Sheehan 0-2, Kevin Mahony 0-4, Billy O' Keefe 2-3 (1f), Dessie Hutchinson 0-4, Pauric Mahony 0-2 (2f), Peter Hogan 0-3, Mike Mahony 0-1
Slaughtneil: Cormac O' Doherty 0-7 (6f), Brendan Rodgers 0-4, Brian Cassidy 0-3, Shane McGuigan 1-0, Jerome McGuigan 0-2, Sé McGuigan 0-1.
Referee: Sean Stack
