Talking Points: Sarsfields hold out to escape Ulster web, Na Fianna use hurt secure final spot

Loughgiel’s odds to win the title outright were in line with the poor record of Ulster champions in All-Ireland finals but it still openly discarded their semi-final chances. Those odds were even more cavalier when considering the record of Ulster teams in semi-finals against breakthrough sides. In any case, Loughgiel made a mockery of those odds when beating Na Piarsaigh before going on to win the All-Ireland.

Was it a surprise? No. On the ten occasions that the Antrim champions have advanced to the All-Ireland final, five were semi-final wins against teams which had just won their first provincial title.

That figure against rookie teams could have been doubled; Ballybrown edged past Loughgiel by a point in the 1990 semi-final; Wolfe Tones scraped past Cushendall by the same margin in 1997; a puck of the ball separated Loughrea from Cushendall heading into injury time of the 2007 semi-final; De La Salle needed extra-time to get past the same opposition two years later; St Thomas’ needed a replay to overcome Loughgiel in their first All-Ireland semi-final in 2013.

The traps had consistently been set. Although Mount Sion had reached an All-Ireland final in 1982, the side which won the 2002 Munster title was littered with inter-county players and was one of the best the club ever produced. Yet one daredevil bookie in Wicklow completely discarded the fact that the team were novices on that stage and he somehow calculated that Dunloy's chances of beating Mount Sion were 9/1. On Monday morning the Wicklow bookie was paying out big-time.

That match was played in Mullingar, which fed into the theory of venues being a factor in the performances of Antrim teams in semi-finals because some of those battles were played in pitches more renowned as football venues. Tight fields also facilitated the siege mentality the Ulster teams routinely bring into this fixture.

What Loughgiel also had in their favour 12 years ago was pedigree, or the perception of pedigree, as they were the only former All-Ireland winners left in the last four of one of the most open All-Ireland club championships in history.

In the most open club championship since, pedigree was also deemed to be a significant factor ahead of yesterday’s semi-final as Slaughtneil, who were appearing in a fifth semi-final, were meeting a Sarsfields side that had just won a maiden Munster title.

One of the biggest differences though, was that Slaughtneil hadn’t won an All-Ireland semi-final before. It was seven years since they’d won a semi-final but Dunloy carried that belief in with them when scalping a young Portumna side in their first All-Ireland semi-final 2004.

On the otherhand, the terrain is different now as, unlike previous years, there is no long layoff now for the provincial champions. Slaughtneil came into yesterday on the back of a huge Ulster final win against Portaferry but Sars were coming in with just as much confidence after taking out a hotly fancied Ballygunner in the Munster final.

In a game that could have gone either way, with Slaughtneil having a goal chance to win it at the death, Sars had still built up enough momentum and belief to make sure their novice status on this stage didn’t see them ensnared in the Ulster web.

Na Fianna turn the tide, Loughrea are engulfed by that tide 

At the final whistle of last year’s Leinster club hurling final, just moments after the TV cameras had focussed on the celebrating O’Loughlin Gaels players, the cameras lingered on Colin Currie for a handful of seconds. The cold air from his breath, along with the steaming air from the sweat off his exhausted body still couldn’t hide the pain and anguish on Currie’s face after an agonising one point defeat.

It was a heartbreaking loss but it has clearly made this Na Fianna side even more resilient, more durable – and harder to beat. Nobody showcased that yesterday more than Currie; after a peerless season as Na Fianna’s freetaker, and with Donal Burke – one of the best freetakers in the country – on the same team, Currie’s placed ball striking looked in danger of cracking just after half-time. Yet he steadied himself and ended with 0-10 from 13 shots.

Anytime the heat has come on Na Fianna, they have found a way to endure; they took down St Vincent’s in the Dublin semi-final after extra-time; they looked out of time in the final against Kilmacud Crokes until a late goal from Ciarán Stacey carried them to victory; Na Fianna ground out another late win in the Leinster semi-final against St Martin’s. And they dug deeper than ever yesterday.

Na Fianna were a different animal after the break, getting off nine more shots than Loughrea in the second half, mostly because they turned the game in their favour off puckouts. After winning just one Loughrea puckout in the first half, Na Fianna secured nine Loughrea puckouts after the break, mining 0-4 off that possession.

Loughrea should have been ahead by far more than four points at half-time, but there was a recurring theme to yesterday’s performance; they play in bursts and leave the opposition hanging in games when they should be out of sight. It nearly cost them in the county final against Cappatagle, but it caught up with Loughrea yesterday.

Especially against a side that have made a habit of grinding out late wins.

Kilkerrin-Clonberne deny Crokes the Double 

As Saturday evening’s All-Ireland ladies club football final slipped into the fourth quarter, Kilmacud Crokes appeared to be coming with a relentless surge, having reduced the deficit to two points, until Kilkerrin-Clonberne repelled that charge with quickfire points from Olivia and Siobhán Divilly in under a minute.

Kilkerrin-Clonberne kicked on to secure a fourth successive All-Ireland title while Crokes were again left with that bitter taste of defeat in their mouths at the hands of the Galway side, having lost to them in last year’s semi-final after extra-time.

Kilmacud are still chasing that maiden All-Ireland but they also had an opportunity to join that elusive club of winning All-Ireland club titles in the men’s and ladies’ game. It is an exclusive society because Ballyboden St Enda’s are the only members of it – in football anyway – having won successive ladies titles in 2004 and 2005, before adding the men’s title in 2016.

Ballyboden are unique in that they are the only club in the country to reach provincial club finals in hurling, football, camogie and ladies football, having secured titles in football, camogie and ladies football. Their hurlers went close to completing that set but they lost Leinster finals to Birr in 2007 and Ballyhale Shamrocks in 2018.

Kilmacud have reached provincials finals in hurling, football and ladies football, while Slaughtneil have won Ulster hurling, football and camogie titles.

Sarsfields, who won yesterday’s All-Ireland club camogie final, are one of four clubs to have won club titles in hurling and camogie, alongside Athenry, Buffers Alley and Glen Rovers.

Interestingly, Newtownshandrum occupy a whole different territory, having won All-Ireland senior club hurling and ladies football titles. Twenty five years before Newtown were crowned All-Ireland club champions, their ladies won successive All-Ireland senior ladies titles, defeating Mullahoran from Cavan in the 1978 and 1979 finals.