McQuillan leads Cushendall into All-Ireland semi-final

Slaughtneil (Derry) 2-10 Cushendall (Antrim) 0-20

CUSHENDALL are Ulster Club hurling champions once again as they secured their first provincial crown since 2018 with a deserved victory over Slaughtneil in Newry on Sunday.

The four-point margin does not tell the full tale of this game as the Ruairis - Cushendall's McCollam and Ó Mianáin of Slaughtneil - dominated the majority of the game aside from a 10-minute spell in the opening half and then late on when the Derry champions fought back, but were ultimately repelled by the Glensmen who now move into an All-Ireland semi-final.

They were simply better throughout the field with Ed McQuillan picking up the man-of-the-match award with four points, Paddy Burke and Eoghan Campbell producing big displays and Ryan McCambridge seemingly in the right place at the right time throughout as they got their hands back on the Four Seasons Cup.

Brian Delargy's men were much improved from their semi-final win over Portaferry that required extra-time a fortnight back and perhaps that game stood to them with Slaughtneil waiting in the wings for 77 days since their county final.

Eoghan Campbell thumped Cushendall into an early lead and although Cormac O'Doherty responded with a free, it was the Antrim champions who were ing the early ascendency with Ed McQuillan hitting the first of his three opening half scores and Neil McManus landing a pair of frees.

But Slaughtneil would work their way into the game with Brendan Rogers and Mark McGuigan on target, while a pair of O'Doherty frees would nudge them ahead.

It would get even better on 20 minutes when O'Doherty cut out a Campbell hand-pass, popped into Shane McGuigan who in turn put Eamon Cassidy in and the wing-forward cracked low to the net.

Cusj