Tom McGrattan with a free to maintain a fine start by the Down champions.

Matthew Conlon races clear from the throw-in to open the scoring and Eoghan Sands lands another. Flying start from Portaferry.

Referee, Colum Cunning throws the ball in and we are underway in Armagh, with ideal conditions for this Ulster final.

A surprise in the Munster final this afternoon saw Sarsfield's defeat Ballygunner, 3-20 to 2-19.

That means the Cork outfit await the winners of Ulster decider in Armagh, with the All-Ireland semi-final slated for a fortnight's time.

Consistency is the theme for Portaferry and Slaughtneil ahead of today's Ulster Club Senior Hurling Championship final in Armagh as both come in unchanged from their last outing.

The Down champions had the straight path to this provincial decider, meaning it's well over a month since their county final triumph against Ballygalget.

Manager, Gerard McGrattan has kept faith with the team that completed a three-in-a-row in Down with top scorer on that occasion, Tom McGrattan spearheading the attack at full-forward.

Eoghan and Dáithí Sands were also amongst the goals and their potency could be valuable today.

Unsurprisingly, Slaughtneil boss Paul McCormack has also resisted making changes from their Ulster semi-final win over Cushendall at the Athletic Grounds a fortnight ago.

Brendan Rogers claimed the man-of-the-match award that thrilling extra-time win and he is selected to start at full-forwaed once more, with another of the astars of that day, Jack Cassidy in the engine room beside Meehaul McGrath.

A strong half-back line is anchored by Conor Coyle and he is flanked by Ruairi Ó Mianáin and Shane McGuigan who have the ability to get on the scoresheet also.

Portaferry: P Smyth; D Mallon, T Murray, R Smyth; B Trainor, C Taggart, C Milligan; M Conlan, S Conlan; N Fitzsimmons, F Turpin, E Sands; D Sands, T McGrattan, N Milligan.

Slaughtneil: O O'Doherty; F McEldowney, P McNeill, C McAllister; R O Mianáin, C Coyle, Shane McGuigan; J Cassidy, M McGrath; M McGuigam, Sé McGuigan, C O'Doherty; E Cassidy, B Rogers, Shéa Cassidy.

Referee: Colum Cunning (Antrim)

Image source, Inpho

Slaughtneil manager Paul McCormack expects Sunday's Ulster Club Hurling Final against Portaferry to be another thriller after his team's dramatic extra-time semi-final win over holders Cushendall.

Armagh man McCormack looked to be facing an onerous task after taking on the Slaughtneil job following's Michael McShane departure last December.

McShane guided the Robert Emmets outfit to their first Ulster triumph in 2016 and three more provincial titles were accumulated in addition to nine successive Derry championships during his time in charge.

But McCormack achieved something that even McShane didn't manage in the Ulster Club Championship by masterminding a victory over Cushendall after the Derry outfit's four previous provincial defeats by the Ruairi Ogs.

However, the Slaughtneil boss insists that there is still a big job of work to be done in the decider against a Portaferry side who looked to have Cushendall beaten in last year's semi-final, only to eventually lose in extra-time.

"I have no doubt about it [that the final is going to be another epic]. I was here last year [for Cushendall against Portaferry] and they had that match won and just didn’t see it out," said McCormack.

"So they are coming with a full deck. Another year’s experience for some of those younger fellows and a real ambition to win the Ulster Championship……but we have that too."

Image source, Inpho

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."

It's time to crown the best in Ulster.

Portaferry and Slaughtneil will face off to become Ulster Senior Hurling champions.

Only one can come out on top.

You can follow updates from the Athletic Grounds right here.

Image source, BBC Sport