Portaferry believe they can upset Slaughtneil

Niall Milligan's two goals seemed to have helped Portaferry past Cushendall in last year's Ulster Club semi-final but the Glens men forced extra-time which they dominated as they ran out 4-28 to 3-19 winners

Slaughtneil's dethroning of Cushendall in the Ulster Club Hurling semi-final means the Derry side will go into Sunday's provincial final at the Athletic Grounds as favourites but their opponents Portaferry have belief going into the decider.

The Down champions also looked to have Cushendall beaten in last year's Ulster semi-final as they led by five points late in the game and still had a three-point advantage deep into injury-time.

However, Neil McManus' dramatic free to the net ensured extra-time where Joe McLaughlin's two goals and a further Alex Delargy major secured Dall victory on a flattering 4-28 to 3-19 margin.

"I thought we had won," recalls Portaferry skipper Matt Conlan of last year's dramatic semi-final.

"But the Cushendall team has shown game after game, that they are never done. There’s nothing we can do about last year. We just have to learn from our mistakes and try and correct them this year."

The form guide from the 2022 semi-final against Slaughtneil is not particularly encouraging for Portaferry as the Derry side romped to a 2-24 to 0-11 triumph.

"Slaughtneil gave us a bit of hammering in Corrigan so we’re well aware of how good a team they are."

Portaferry manager Gerard McGrattan is the only Down man to have earned a hurling All-Star

Portaferry could also be boosted by the return to action of 17-year-old forward Cahal Coleman, whose prodigious talent with a caman first came to national prominence a decade ago amid his array of freestyle hurling tricks.

A dislocated elbow ruled Coleman out of Portaferry's three-in-a-row securing 3-21 to 2-14 county final win over Ballygalget on 20 October but he was able to resume training a couple of weeks ago.

Tom McGrattan was man of the match in the Down final as his 1-12 included 1-4 from play and Daithi Sands also contributed 1-5.

Portaferry manager Gerard McGrattan, the only Down hurler to have an All-Star by dint of his 1992 award, says his side have to believe they are capable of clinching only a second Ulster title with the club's previous triumph coming 10 years ago which is the last time a team from the Mourne County lifted the Four Seasons Cup.

"The expectation is now there. We’ve done three in a row in Down. It’s now about progressing to the next stage," adds the Portaferry boss.

"Winning the county titles are great but winning the Ulster stage is where you start considering yourself as being a great team. We want to compete at that level and stay at that level. I think the group of players have that belief now after last year."

However, McGrattan knows Slaughtneil's pedigree full well as they search for a first provincial title since 2021 which then represented their fourth title in six years - which was essentially four out of five given the competition wasn't played during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

"When Cushendall beat us last year, Slaughtneil were probably still favourite to win the final because they had been the dominant team over the previous few years," adds McGrattan.

Strangford Ferry suspension

The suspension of the Strangford Ferry for five weeks from early October until the past week because of maintenance work caused McGrattan and his squad logistical difficulties in the search for suitable pitches to train on, with the Red High facility in Downpatrick they habitually use during the autumn and winter not an option.

"We do have lights, a gym and a good ball alley down in our place so we try and utilise that as much as we can," captain Conlan told BBC Sport NI.

"We also tried to find pitches up in Belfast where a lot of boys are working, so just somewhere that’s easy to get to for all of us."

On the face, Portaferry's lack of recent competitive activity could be a drawback with Slaughtneil in contrast having required extra-time only two weeks ago as they overcame Cushendall 1-36 to 3-25 in another Ulster Club Hurling classic.

"It’s not ideal but there’s nothing we can do about. We just have to train hard. Try to get challenge games if possible and just go from there," said Conlan.

McGrattan adds: "After the county final, there is a bit of a lull but it gives us time to regroup and we go again."