An epic Ulster Club Hurling Championship semi-final in Armagh went the way of Slaughtneil in extra-time as they ran out 1-36 to 3-25 winners on Saturday.
The Derry side thought they had it won in normal time when four ahead in added time, but Cushendall’s never-say-die spirit again shone through and once more it was Neil McManus who would bail them out with the third of his goals forcing the additional period.
But unlike the Portaferry semi-final 12 months ago, when in an identical position, this time the Antrim team couldn’t capitalise and the Derry side roared home.
They also began brilliantly when leading by 0-7 to 0-1 with Jack Cassidy grabbing two of his five in the opening period.
Cushendall grew into it with the next four, but Slaughneil responded in kind with an inspirational effort from Brendan Rogers the pick and they pushed the gap back out to six when McManus halved the deficit in the 23rd minute when first to a breaking ball.
Slaughtneil again had an answer four minutes later as Meehaul McGrath teed up Eamon Cassidy and the sides continued to slug it out in a breathtaking first half with the Derry side holding a 1-16 to 1-12 lead at the break.
There was no let-up in the second half with McManus levelling with his second goal four minutes in when fetching a Scott Walsh delivery and Sean McAfee gave them the lead for the first time.
But the sides were neck and neck before Slaughtneil appeared to break for home with four scores on the spin, having spurned a number of chances and they led by as the game entered stoppage time.
A McManus free left one in it and then with their final chance, McManus let fly with a speculative shot from outside the D with the ball going through a ruck of bodies and taking a deflection as it ended up in the net to send the game to extra-time with it standing 3-21 to 1-27.
It could have been a crushing blow for Slaughtneil as it was for Portaferry who suffered the same fate against Cushendall one year previous, but they took a two-point lead into the turn of ends and this time finished the job with four of the five points in the second period including Rogers’ seventh to see the Derry men through.
