Ballygalet looking to dethrone Slaughtneil

Ballygalet looking to dethrone Slaughtneil

18 October 2017

BALLYGALGET’S hurlers will be looking to go one better than Kilcoo’s footballers when they face Slaugthneil in the Ulster Club Hurling Championship final at the Athletic Grounds in Armagh (4pm) on Sunday.

County champions Kilcoo were pipped at the post by Slaughtneil’s footballers in the Ulster Club SFC on Sunday — and Ballygalget won’t get it easy either against the Derry club’s hurlers.

Slaughtneil really are a class act. Fourteen of the panel who were at Pairc Esler last Sunday will be in the squad to face Ballygalget. They now have a winning mentality that is hard to beat.

Ballygalget will be appearing in their 11th Ulster final, having won the competition in 2006, 1999 and 1976. Slaughtneil will be making their fifth appearance in the provincial decider, having won it for the first time last year.

The Derry champions have set their sights on All-Ireland glory — not just an Ulster title — and Ballygalget will have their work cut out dethroning the defending champions.

Ballygalget overcame Portaferry in the Down final and then saw off Fermanagh side Lisbellaw 2-26 to 0-8 at Corrigan Park in the Ulster semi-final.

The Ards side stormed into an early 0-11 to 0-1 lead, which was extended to 0-17 to 0-4 by half-time. Caolan Bailie and Paul McManus hit second-half goals as Mark Fisher and Cormac Coulter finished as top scorers.

Ballygalget have top class performers all over the park and in ‘keeper James Crowe, Cormac Coulter, Caolan Bailie, Brook Byers, Mark Fisher, Gerad Roddy, skipper Danny Toner and, of course, the talismanic Gareth Johnson they have the men for the job.

Lowering Slaughtneil’s colours will be easier said than done. The Derry aces recovered from a slow start to overpower Dunloy 1-18 to 2-8 in their semi-final, which was watched by over 6,000 enthusiastic spectators.

Nigel Elliott’s goal helped Dunloy lead 1-4 to 0-1, but Slaughtneil responded with an unanswered 1-8 as they led 1-10 to 1-5 at the break.

Brendan Rogers appeared to get the final touch for the goal as he starred along with Cormac Doherty. Paul Shiels hit a late Dunloy goal before proceedings were interrupted by a mass brawl.

Ballygalget will have to be at their very best if they are to cause an upset in Armagh. 

Meanwhile, details of the Down footballers’ National League campaign were announced last week.

Down, who have retained their Division 2 status last season, open up with up a short trip to Pete McGrath-managed Louth on January 28, followed by a home game against Cork on February 4.

On February 10 they travel west to Roscommon and on February 25 they entertain Clare before travelling to Cavan on March 3.

There’s a home tie against Tipperary on March 18 and their programme ends on March 25 away to Meath.

Down manager Eamon Burns has strengthened his back room staff with the appointment of former Antrim co-manager Gearoid Adams.