Ulster Club Hurling SHC: McManus rescues Dall as they beat Portaferry after extra-time

Cushendall qualified for a first Ulster Club Hurling final since 2018 after a thrilling 4-28 to 3-19 extra-time win over Portaferry in Armagh.

Dall fought back from four down in injury-time as Neil McManus' netted a free to bring the game to extra-time.

Two Niall Milligan goals and an Eoghan Sands major had looked set to earn Portaferry victory.

But McManus' free found the net and Joseph McLaughlin's 2-3 in extra-time helped Cushendall pull clear.

McManus finished with 1-15 while McLaughlin lived up to his pre-match billing as one to watch as he notched 2-5.

Portaferry wasted no time in settling in and they were rewarded for their fast start with the opening two-scores of the contest through a Paudy Doran free and a long-range effort from Caolan Taggart.

Portaferry looked like winning the provincial semi-final for much of the game

McLaughlin was denied a Cushendall goal in the 7th minute when his effort from close range was blocked bravely by Taggart, but from the resulting 65, McManus opened the Ruairi Og's account.

Portaferry quickly restored their two-point advantage as Daithi Sands raced clear to register his side's third-point of the half by the 9th minute. But, led by their talisman McManus, it didn't take long for Dall to draw level.

After McManus hit his first from play, McLaughlin levelled the contest for the first time after being picked out by Conor McCambridge and at this early stage, it was evident a classic was on the cards.

Then came the game's first goal.

Quick hands from the Conlon brothers, Matthew and Shane allowed Eoghan Sands to run through the heart of the Cushendall defence. Despite the close attention of the Ruairi Og defence, Sands was still able to pick out Milligan, and the full-forward was able to flick the ball past Conor McAlister in the Cushendall goal.

But with McManus in inspired form, Cushendall reeled the Down champions in and when Paddy Burke pointed from halfway in the 30th minute, it gave the Glens men the lead for the first time.

However, Doran's free on the cusp of the half time break meant that the sides went in level at the break - 0-9 to 1-6.

Portaferry looked like winning the provincial semi-final for much of the game

Cushendall dominated the opening exchanges of the second half and Fergus McCambridge's effort saw the Antrim champions open up a three-point lead by the 37th minute.

However, Portaferry quickly found themselves on level terms again when Milligan took advantage of a slip by Cushendall goalkeeper McAlister to hack the ball into an empty net.

It got even better for the Ards men in the 45th minute when an Eoghan Sands effort was misjudged by McAlister, the Cushendall netminder could only look on in horror as the ball trickled into an empty net.

Gerard McGrattan's side were now in the ascendency and Tom McGrattan's point in the 60th minute looked like being the insurance point, until McManus' dramatic 1-1 salvo sent the tie into extra-time.

The first period of extra-time belonged to Cushendall and after McLaughlin hit the Ruairi Ogs' second goal of the day, the North Antrim men rattled off four unanswered points to lead at the halfway point 2-25 to 3-18.

Cushendall were now well in control and in the dying minutes McLaughlin showed his class once again with a sublimely taken second goal to book his side's place in the final in two week against Derry's Slaughtneil.