Will we C history made by central Mayo boys?
Balla Secondary School will appear in their first ever Masita All-Ireland Post-Primary Schools Senior Football Championship final when they face St. Ciaran’s College, Ballygawley, Tyrone, in the C final in Ballyshannon on Saturday (2 p.m.), writes Patrick Hennelly.
Excitement was huge in the proud Mayo school ahead of the big day, and a great buzz permeated the town as families and supporters were eagerly looking forward to a cherished All-Ireland final appearance.
Balla have been on something of an odyssey this season. Their Connacht final against Gortnor Abbey was played in blizzard-like conditions in Bekan before they recorded an impressive All-Ireland semi-final victory over Cork’s Carrigaline Community School.
Balla joint managers Gareth O’Donnell and Adrian Phillips know that their players are focused on the task that now faces them.
O’Donnell said: “The lads have their minds focused on this task and match ahead of them. We have two more training sessions ahead of the All-Ireland final and we will be ready for the game on Saturday.”
“We have no injury concerns so far and hopefully that will continue to be the case. The lads have trained really well and we have not been overdoing things at training, which I think has helped our players remain fit and fresh.”
Phillips said the team know the system they have to play. He explained: “We will counteract things with regard to the conditions and the opposition, but the way we play is the exact same as in every game. We have a plan for this game, and we hope to execute it as best we can.
“St. Ciaran’s have Tyrone minor and Under 20 All-Ireland winners from last year in their team and they are a huge school with a huge tradition in football. They lost to Ballinrobe Community School in the 2017 All-Ireland B final, and this school have competed at B level for the last few years.”
Balla wing-forward Patrick McHale said that training has gone well. “Everyone is really looking forward to the game. Training has been going well, and we are focused on the task ahead of us,” he stated.
“I think there is a turnover of nine players in the soccer team who also play with our Gaelic football team, and both teams are more or less made up of the same players. That in turn has led to a good team bond which has grown over the last number of months.
“There are quite a number of Balla players in the team and some of us have been playing football together for almost 15 years at this stage. We know each other’s style of play and what we are capable of producing in games and that is a big help.”
For midfielder Mark Jennings, it helps that preparations haven’t changed. “It has probably been the same preparations as the semi-final and with there being only a two-week turnaround, you really don’t have that much to do,” said Mark.
“We haven’t differed from what we have done so far, and what has worked for us. You always want to be in an All-Ireland final and that is what you dream of, and it is great that we are getting this opportunity with our school, class-mates and friends.”
He also said the new rules have made the game a livelier spectacle. “Players are able to express themselves a lot more, especially scoring the two-pointers, and they (rules) also develop a player’s confidence to be able to kick long-range points from distance. The old game was more defensively minded, whereas these games are now good games and more enjoyable to play in and watch.”
Jennings believes that the Connacht final improved this Balla side. “We hadn’t faced a challenge like that so far in the season and Gortnor Abbey have exceptional footballers. The weather conditions and the team we were playing forced us to up our tempo in that game.”
Corner-back Connor Brett concurs that Balla learned a lot from the provincial final. He stated: “In the Connacht final against Gortnor Abbey, we really had to dig deep in that game. I think it all came down to hard work and winning those key 50/50 battles that helped get us over the line in that game. There is also a great chemistry in this team, and we have been playing together for a long time.”
Balla SS wing-back Keith Malone says that team-work was a big factor in the clash against Carrigaline. “We set down our foundations and I think our back six played very well in that game. Our forwards, particularly Charlie Fallon and Oran Murphy, were unbelievable on the day.”
Keith added: “There was great support for Balla in the semi-final and that can really bring on a team in matches. We have received some great support over the course of this campaign. I think the local clubs, Balla, Ballintubber, Mayo Gaels and Castlebar Mitchels, do an awful lot of work too.”
Centre-forward Liam Glynn, the team captain, said there has been a great support system in the school throughout this adventure. “We have some brilliant coaches here in the school, and the teachers who aren’t involved in the coaching side of things have also been very supportive in this journey. The training has been very good, and we couldn’t ask for any more.”