Slaughtneil cruise through in opening round of Ulster championship defence

Slaughtneil 4-13 Derrygonnelly 1-04

Derry champions Slaughtneil had no difficulty negotiating safe passage through the opening defence of their Ulster club SFC title with an emphatic victory in Owenbeg.

Three first-half goals gave Slaughtneil, beaten All-Ireland finalists this year, a commanding 3-3 to 1-3 lead at the break.

Fermanagh champions Derrygonnelly only scored one point in the second half and finished the game with 14 men after the dismissal of Conal Jones ten minutes from time.

Cormac O’Doherty’s goal after 52 seconds gave Slaughtneil the perfect start.

Christopher ‘Sammy’ Bradley drilled home a second in the seventh minute, thumping home left-footed at the near post.

Derrygonnelly raised the game’s third green flag in the eighth minute.

When a free was brought forward, Paul Ward showed some quick thinking to trot forward and bury the ball into the net from 13m with the Slaughtneil defence sleeping.

Chrissy McKaigue scored from the wing for the game's opening point in the tenth minute but Derrygonnelly, despite hitting seven first-half wides, stayed in the game with points from Declan Cassidy and Paul Ward.

Slaughtneil’s third goal just before half time was the killer score - Se McGuigan and O’Doherty combining before ‘Sammy’ Bradley tapped the ball home from close range.

Karl McKaigue scored a spectacular fourth goal in the 52nd minute.

Slaughtneil: A McMullan; Francis McEldowney, B Rodgers, K McKaigue (1-0); P McNeill, C McKaigue (0-1), B McGuigan (0-1); Patsy Bradley (0-1), P Cassidy; P Kelly (0-1), Paul Bradley (0-3, 2f), R Bradley; C Bradley (2-3, 1f), S McGuigan (0-1), C O'Doherty (1-2).

Subs: S Cassidy for R Bradley (BC, 35), Fergal McEldowney for Kelly (50), C Cassidy for B McGuigan (50), P Kearney for Francis McEldowney (54).

Derrygonnelly: D Feely; M Jones, T Daly, E McHugh; D Greene, S Burns, G McGinley; Shane McGullion, R Jones; D Cassidy (0-1), P Ward (1-1), G Jones; L Jones (0-2, 2f), Stephen McGullion, C Jones.

Subs: M Cassidy for Shane McGullion (39), G McKenna for G Jones (39), N Gallagher for D Greene (45), J McGurn for Stephen McGullion (54), R Leonard for Burns (54), N Gilleece for L Jones (57).

Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan).