Nearly a decade of dominance was ended on Saturday as Swatragh succeeded in wrestling the Derry senior title from the grasp of Slaughtneil.
The Emmets’ period of supremacy in the county began when they beat the Michael Davitts side in the 2015 final and Swatragh were also the final victims in four of Slaughtneil’s subsequent eight title successes.
However, all of those defeats were avenged in a strange game played out before a big crowd in Maghera.
Strange in that Swatragh failed to score at all during the third quarter and, apart from three frees between the 47th and 50th minutes from Máiréad McNicholl, they didn’t raise another flag at all during the whole of the second half.
However, those McNicholl points were crucial to get them home after Cliona Mulholland’s free a few minutes earlier had put 10-in-a-row chasing Slaughtneil level for the first time.
Slaughtneil, however, couldn’t take advantage and a lot of credit must go to the Swatragh defence. Goalkeeper Niamh McQuillan saved a penalty in the 40th minute and organised her defence superbly, with Niamh Quinn, Noeleen McKenna and teenager Ellie McCartney outstanding.
Their goal, a shot from distance by Emma Quinn after 27 minutes, was fortuitous, but it would still be churlish to say that they didn’t deserve their achievement in breaking their neighbours’ run of titles.
Swatragh were three up after three minutes with two McNicholl scores followed by a point from Shannon Kearney. Eventually, Olivia Rafferty got Slaughtneil off the mark and Mulholland’s first score from a free put them back in the frame.
Swatragh, though, responded well to go 0-7 to 0-3 ahead by the 18th minute with two frees from McNicholl and points each for Aoibheann Mullan and Dervla O’Kane.
Over the next 10 minutes the holders worked it back to 0-9 to 0-7 through two Mulholland frees and a point each from Rafferty and Lucy McKaigue, who had started in place of the influential Tina Bradley.
Then came the Swatragh goal and, as they wasted another couple of point opportunities, Slaughtneil closed the gap to trail by 1-9 to 0-9 at the break.
The second half was attritional, dominated by frees for technical offences, with neither side able to build up a head of steam.
Bríd Rogers popped over the only score from open play during the second half and Mulholland frees drew the teams level by the 44th minute.
There was another couple of frees that pulled wide or short and one that came off the post, none of them tapovers, and of course the penalty that Niamh McQuillan not only saved, but got distance into her clearance. In hindsight all were crucial events in a game of small margins.
McNicholl’s quick-fire three points put Swatragh in charge again and management sent in a couple of fresh players to up the pace.
But it was all about holding out at the other end. They did just that and set off some colourful scenes of celebration to mark the end of the longest barren period in the club’s existence.
MATCH STATS
Slaughtneil J McMullan, D McGuigan, Céat McEldowney, Carla McEldowney, B McAllister, A Ní Chaiside, C Ní Mhianáin, S Mellon, C Mulholland (0-7 frees), O Rafferty (0-3), L McKaigue (0-1), F Burke, C Kearney, B Rogers (0-1), A Mulholland (0-1)
Subs E McGuigan for C Kearney and E Convery for F Burke (both 54), T Bradley for A Mulholland (59)
Swatragh N McQuillan, E McCartney, N Quinn, C Turner, N McKenna, G McAtamnay, C Bradley, B McCullagh, D O’Kane (0-1), E Quinn (1-0), M McNicholl (0-9, 0-8 frees), A Mullan (0-1), S Quinn, S O’Doherty (0-1), E Murray Subs MT McCullagh for A Mullan and E Conway for C Bradley (both 50)
