DERRY GAA: Steelstown can draw comfort from championship stalemate with Slaughtneil

Steelstown 0-12, Slaughtneil 0-12

There was a sense of Steelstown's All Ireland Intermediate winning side finally arriving in the Derry Senior Championship about Saturday's absorbing draw with 2020 champions, Slaughtneil, at Pairc Bhrid.

Three hundred and forty-six days ago the Brian Ogs travelled to Emmet Park with that significant feather in their cap, ready to renew acquaintances with the county's premier football competition. There was a caveat though. The Croke Park dream had run well into last season and the celebrations that followed saw key men missing for much of the year and under prepared when they returned.

The result? A chastening 3-18 to 0-04 reminder of the gulf that still existed to the top clubs in the county. Yet anyone who had followed Hugh McGrath's team on their way to the Kieran O'Sullivan Cup could have told there was more in the tank.

Fast forward to Saturday and with a decent league campaign under their belts, the key men back on board and Paddy Campbell now returned to the manger's hotseat, the Steelstown who had accounted for the likes of Kerry's Na Gaeil and Meath's Trim re-emerged.

The challenge in front of them was a considerable one too. Even without Shane McGuigan, Slaughtneil are still Glen's closest challengers and new manager Mark Doran could still call on the likes of Brendan Rogers, Chrissy McKaigue, Christopher Bradley et al for what turned into a fascinating, tactical chess match of a game.

With former sharp shooter Mickey McKinney now donning the goalkeeper's jersey, Steelstown owned the ball for the opening four and a half minutes and the scene was set. Possession would be king.

Steelstown's game-plan was built on not carrying the ball into contact, McKinney's ability to bring ball and find passes giving Steelstown crucial overloads. The Brian Ogs pushed high on the visitors' kick-outs, often forcing Antoin McMullan long where Emmett Deane was able to compete and break more than his fair share in an excellent individual display.

Donncha Gilmore was tasked with curtailing potential All Star Rogers and he did a brilliant job, albeit no one will keep a play of Rogers' ability completely quiet. Cahir McMonagle was Steelstown's attacking ace, firing over superb points off both his left and right, but there wasn't a bad performance in blue.

The home frustration was they twice had possession in the closing minutes, once after a superb Neil Forester forced turnover on Peter McCullagh, but couldn't fashion a shooting chance. Slaughtneil weren't coming out either so the game disappointingly petered out into a 'stand-off' of sorts.

For their part, Slaughtneil will feel they allowed Steelstown back into it. The sides went into half-time tied at six points apiece having been level on five occasions before a huge Rogers score after the restart was the cue for the Emmets to forge a 0-10 to 0-7 lead. But for the remaining 25 minutes, Slaughtneil manged to add only two further points.

The return of McGuigan will obviously make a huge difference but new manager Doran will want a better return from the supporting act as the championship progresses.

The first half saw nothing between the teams. Steelstown had more of the ball but Slaughtneil were slightly more efficient in their shooting as the teams mirrored each other's tactic of dropping men back out of possession and seeking to counter.

Top class points from McMonagle, McKinney, Forester and McCarron (free) did have the home side 0-4 to 0-2 up on 19 minutes but Slaughneil responded though Cormac O'Doherty and the excellent Padraig Cassidy to level before Ronan Bradley and Christopher Bradley twice cancelled McCarron scores and ensure parity at the break.

Slaughtneil's quick start to the second half looked to have caught the home side napping but Steelstown's grit was admirable and showed they are ready to compete with the best at this level. A wonderful McMonagle point made it 0-10 to 0-8 only to see O'Doherty re-establish the three point advantage moments later as the game entered it's final quarter, during which time Steelsown outscored their visitors 0-4 to 0-1.

After scoring off his right, McMonagle added one with the left before Ryan Devine sent over a huge effort and McCarron tied things up from a free. It was his right foot this time as McMonagle sent Steelstown into the lead with six minutes left but Slaughtneil don't lie down for anyone and responded through Cassidy, their best player on the day, with his third from play.

And that was sort of that. Once of twice the teams threatened to open the other up but with Newbridge, Ballinderry, Magherafelt, Kilrea and Loup still to come, they settled for a share of the spoils.

Steelstown scorers: Ben McCarron (0-4, 3f), Chair McMonagle (0-4, 1f), Michael McKinney (0-1), Neil Forester (0-1), Eoghan Bradley (0-1), Ryan Devine (0-1).

Slaughtneil scorers: Christopher Bradley (0-3, 2f), Padraig Cassidy (0-3), Cormac O'Doherty (0-2), Ronan Bradley (0-1), Brendan Rogers (0-1), Meehaul McGrath (0-1), Chrissy McKaigue (0-1).

Steelstown: Michael McKinney, Eoghan Concannon, Donncha Gilmore, Ryan McCloskey, Shane O'Connor, Diarmuid Baker, Cormac Mooney, Ryan Devine, Emmett Deane, Neil Forester, Oran McMenamin, Jason McAleer, Ben McCarron, Eoghan Bradley, Cahir McMonagle. (Subs) Morgan Murray for E Bradley, 49mins; Oran Fox for E Concannon (inj), 60mins.

Slaughtneil: Antoin McMullan, Paul McNeil, Karl McKaigue, Fionnbarr McGuigan, Ruairi O'Mianain, Chrissy McKaigue, Conor McAllister, Brendan Rogers, Padraig Cassidy, Meehaul McGrath, Ronan Bradley, Peter McCullagh, Cormac O'Doherty, Jack Cassidy, Christopher Bradley. (Subs) Peadar Kearney for F McGuigan, HT; Mark McGuigan for C O'Doherty, 51mins; Keelan Feeney for C McAllister, 55mins.

Referee: Cathal Doherty