On day of raw winter hurling, Sars rolled the dice and their number came up

After that chastening county final two months ago, he spoke of his management team throwing the dice in the hope of their number coming up. They have been tumbling their way ever since.

There was little fortunate about their scintilating win over Ballygunner two weeks ago but there was about how this win in a most tense of All-Ireland semi-finals in Cedral St Conleth’s Park.

A goal begged to be scored by Slaughtneil captain Mark McGuigan in additional time only for his strike to blaze over the bar. Instead of losing their advantage, it remained for Sarsfields and victory was theirs.

“It was six inches from going home deflated or going home absolutely elated and we’re absolutely elated, obviously enough,” said a relieved and emotional Crowley. “You have to feel sorry for (Mark) McGuigan but look that’s the way the dice rolls and thankfully it’s rolled up a six for us.” 

Hurling is more, so much more than a game of craps but in game of such slender differences sometimes the outcomes fall the same way.

As it was against Ballygunner, Sarsfields’ resolve was pronounced and their timing ever so good. They had been outplayed in the early part of the second half but they rose to the finish. They trailed up to the 52nd minute when the inspirational Jack O’Connor sent over his fourth point.

A minute later and provincial final hero Shane O’Regan put Sarsfields into the lead.

They doubled that in the 57th minute only for a brace of Cormac O’Doherty points to tie matters going into additional time. However, Aaron Myers and substitute Liam Healy were able to put Sarsfields back into control.

Shane McGuigan’s third point narrowed the gap to the minimum once more but Cathal McCarthy then landed a vital score. O’Doherty teed up Mark McGuigan for that goal attempt yet up the sliotar flew for a letdown of a point. A free came Sarsfields’ way soon after. It was missed but time was up and they had bridged the yawning gap to the last appearance by a Cork club in a senior All-Ireland final 18 years ago.

Slaughtneil were noble, worthy and vigorous opponents. They mightn’t have had the flourishes Sarsfields enjoyed in both halves but had they won this semi-final there would have been few complaints.

The game appeared to be turning in their favour in the third quarter. From one point down at the turnaround, they built up a three-point lead. Their figurehead Brendan Rogers drew a third yellow card-earning free from a Sarsfields defender and Slaughtneil’s radar from distance was sharper.

Sarsfields went 11 minutes between a couple of Myers’ frees. When Myers looped one over from play in the 46th minute to reduce the difference to two points, it was the Munster champions’ first point from play in 24 minutes. O’Connor sent over the next couple of scores and the initiative had shifted again before that absorbing finish.

Ultimately, not being able to go more than three points ahead came back to hurt Slaughtneil. 

“We needed the scoreboard to go another one, another one, but you're playing against a top quality team who have inter-county Cork experience,” said manager Paul McCormack. 

“We're talking, and that's not being disrespectful, we're talking Derry hurlers against Cork, but you wouldn't have seen that out there.” 

A frenzied first half was littered with mistakes across the board. The freetakers struck five wides between them – three for O’Doherty, two for Daniel Hogan – and the execution of tackles and passes left a lot to be desired too. It was winter hurling at its rawest and compounded by the stakes at play made for a error-strewn if exciting period.

Sarsfields’ best patches came in the opening seven minutes – when they outscored Slaughtneil 0-3 to 0-1 and Colm McCarthy, despite taking too many steps, had a goal attempt denied by Oisín O’Doherty inside the opening 20 seconds – and between the 21st and 25th minutes as they reeled off four points without reply.

Backed by a good breeze, they would have expected to be ahead at the break but their advantage was marginal, 0-8 to 0-7. While they did well at times to stem Rogers’ influence, they were giving up frees too easily, especially in the first quarter.

O’Doherty had four converted frees to his name by the 17th minute and the latter two put Slaughtneil ahead on each occasion. Cormac O’Sullivan was manning his area admirably but too often colleagues were being sucked into making edgy decisions.

Down 0-4 to 0-5, Sarsfields found their groove starting with Hogan’s third free in the 22nd minute. O’Connor, who wasn’t found wanting in tracking back either, sent over his second point in the following minute before Bryan Murphy landed a well-worked effort from close to the sideline.

Another Hogan free for a foul on Cian Darcy pushed Sarsfields three up but this more-than-doughty Slaughtneil outfit saw out the half with two points. Eventually, they were subdued but only just.

“Today was an out-and-out heavyweight battle, punch for punch, whereas the Munster final was more of a hurling game and that brought us to today and it’s just incredible,” gushed Crowley. 

“It wasn’t a game of massive stickwork and a joy to watch but in a heavyweight competition it was an absolute battle.” 

When fortune favoured the fearless.

Scorers for Sarsfields: A. Myers (0-5, 2 frees); D. Hogan (frees), J. O’Connor (0-4 each); Cathal McCarthy (0-2); B. Murphy, S. O’Regan, L. Healy (0-1 each).

Scorers for Slaughtneil: C. O’Doherty (0-9, 8 frees, 1 65); Shane McGuigan (0-3); Shéa Cassidy, E. Cassidy, M. McGrath, R. Ó Mianáin, M. McGuigan (0-1 each).

SARSFIELDS: B. Graham; C. O’Sullivan (c), P. Leopold; B. Murphy; C. Roche, L. Elliott, E. Murphy; Colm McCarthy, Cathal McCarthy; D. Hogan, D. Kearney, C. Darcy; A. Myers. J. O’Connor, J. Sweeney.

Subs: S. O’Regan for J. Sweeney (42); C. Leahy for P. Leopold (44); K. Murphy for E. Murphy (50); L. Healy for D. Kearney (57).

SLAUGHTNEIL: O. O’Doherty; Seán Cassidy, F. McEldowney, P. McNeill; Shane McGuigan, C. McAllister, R. Ó Mianáin; J. Cassidy, M. McGrath; B. Rogers, M. McGuigan (c), Sé McGuigan; C. O’Doherty, Shéa Cassidy, E. Cassidy.

Subs: C. McKaigue for R. Ó Mianáin (51); G. Bradley for M. McGrath (56); P. McCullagh for J. Cassidy (58).

Referee: J. Owens (Wexford).