JOHN MELVIN REPORTS FROM BALLINASLOE

Ballina Stephenites 0-8 ......................................... Doonbeg 0-4

History beckons Ballina Stephenites who took a giant leap towards realising the dream of being the first Mayo club to lift an All Ireland club title, after a deserving four points win over Munster champions Doonbeg, in extremely testing conditions at Ballinasloe on Sunday. It was tough football, played hard, and at times very fast, but when the going got really tough, it was Ballina who really got going, and their edge in mental and psychical fitness stood to them at the end of a grueling battle.

This was a struggle of wills and wits, and on both counts Ballina emerged as winners, proving that a disciplined defence can win games, and in this department Ballina had a rock solid set of backs and an outstanding full back in James Devinney.

The Stephenites now retrace the footsteps of the only other finalists, Garrymore, Castlebar Mitchels and Knockmore, to set up a repeat of the final of two years ago when Ulsters champions, Crossmaglen, shattered the ambitions of Knockmore, but this performance, of true grit and raw courage, would suggest that Ballina are not now about to crack with the ultimate goal just one further journey away.

BURNING PASSION

It was a fearless performance from a team that played with a burning passion deep in their belly and while it was not a display without blemish, particularly in the second half ,when the game lost its shape, as the struggle for survival intensified, it was Ballina who regrouped in time to take charge, and indeed, their overall territorial dominance of this game should have yielded a greater winning margin.

But the most compelling evidence that Ballina can deliver an All-Ireland came in the final quarter when the game was hanging by a thread, and it was the Stephenites' ability to deliver the killer blows, with three unanswered points, which suggests they have a side capable of winning a championship.

But credit too must go to the 'never-say-die' Clare champions who, despite an abject failure to convert a few decent scoring chances, kept plugging away to the very end, but in truth they were not in the same class as Ballina, and certainly never played with the same raging hot fire of determination which was the hallmark of Ballina's performance.

The Connacht champions got widespread support from all over for this semi-final on Sunday, and you sense the Mayo colours may yet triumph in a Croke Park final which will once again witness a cloud of green and red on St Patrick's Day as the Ballina attempt to follow the footsteps of Corfoin last year and ensure the Andy Merrigan keeps the Sam Maguire company on this side of the Shannon.

Given the quality of their first half display in this game, and their ability to put the opposition away with a flurry of late killer points, there is a growing sense of optimism that this Ballina team won't settle for second best.

It was obvious from their first half performance having chosen to play into a gale, that they had arrived with a game plan, but even they must have been a little bemused when they turned over at half-time with a two point advantage 0-5 to 0-3.

Ballina had decided on a defensive strategy and Doonbeg just couldn't harness that gale at their backs in the opening half.

CRUMBS

Their forwards were left living off crumbs as Ballina defended stoutly with Liam McHale at the heart of the defence, at times catching high balls in front of his own posts, and then in typical McHale basketball fashion, working it up field in a series of hand-passing moves.

It was a strategy Doonbeg tried to work, but failed to master in the second half, and from once Ballina began to impose them in the last ten minutes of the first half, you could only see only one winner, and it wasn't a Munster team.

That ten minute blitz towards the end of the first half was arguably Ballina's best football of the championship, and it should have yielded a lot more than the two points which gave them really the break of serve in this game.

At that stage the game was balanced at 0-3 each. Brian McStay, with a free from the hands, Shane Sweeney making a profitable run from his defensive trench to take a good point and Paul McGarry, providing the Ballina scores, while Padraig Gallagher and Gerry Killen, put Clare into the lead after four minutes and a point from Paul Hehir kept them in front before McGarry's balancing point.

But from once Liam McHale began to flex his muscles and his brain at midfield, and David Brady began to get into his stride, Ballina moved up a gear.

Denis Coen, with a lovely point on his favoured left foot and an excellent point Keith Lynn, after good work from McStay and McGarry, gave Ballina that two point lead at the break.

Doonbeg made their move early in the second half, and a number of switches certainly saw their game improve dramatically, but the errors were still cropping up. Poor passing, moves breaking down and some poor shooting only yielded a point after ten minutes of the second half.

A lot of hard work with little reward to show. It had the gap down to the minimum, but Ballina's midfield general, Liam McHale, began to direct operations once again. It was shoulder to the wheel time, and the Ballina backs responded in splendid style, none more so than James Devenney who intercepted, cleared, harried and did a mountain of work-he was everywhere.

Along with McHale, Ger Brady was also emerging as a key link man as the Ballina backs cleared their line, but it was Devenney who made the vital interception and set up the attack which ended in a fine point for McGarry to put Ballina back in front by two -0-6 to 0-4.

They never really looked back after that. Doonbeg managed just one point in that half, and were perhaps a little unlucky to see one good effort come off the upright, but Ballina were also denied on no fewer than three occasions by the posts, the best effort coming from Ger Brady's long range free ,which came back off the cross bar.

The important final nails were hammered into the Doonbeg casket when Martin McGrath put Ballina three clear with seven minutes remaining and on the stroke of full-time David Brady made the game safe with a very good point

I on the Ball

CAN SAM AND ANDY REMAIN TOGETHER?

Can Sam and Andy remain together? It sounds like a question from one of those T.V. soaps, but to paraphrase the immortal words of the great Bill Shankley 'football is not just about life and death, it is much more

important than that', and we are talking sport here, and the future of two major trophies, the Sam. Maguire Cup and the Andy Merrigan Cup, both of which are currently residing in Connacht, the latter about to hit North or come to Mayo, depending on the outcome of the Ballina-Crossmaglen All-Ireland Club Final.

Sam, of course, is the Cup dedicated to honour Sam Maguire, while the prize for the All Ireland Club champions is dedicated to Andy Merrigan, the former Wicklow footballer.

They have become very close companions in Connacht and Ballina Stephenites will be hoping that they can take over the lease on the Connacht Club Cup, while Sam. Maguire remains in the hands of Galway, until July at any rate.. Of course, Ballina Stephenites have won All-Ireland Club titles in the early part of the 19th century when Ballina Commercials represented Mayo rolling off 13 county titles from 1904-1916. And it was from representing Mayo in the club championship that the Stephenites ended up with the Mayo colours as their club colours.

However, no Mayo club has won the newly constituted Club championship. which was first played for in 1971. Clann Na Gael, the first to reach the final, Roscommon Gaels, Salthill, Garrymore, Knockmore and Castlebar all came close, until Corofin finally cracked it last year to became the first Connacht club to land the titles. Now there is every optimism that Ballina can keep the title this side of the Shannon.

They will be up against Armagh Clubmen, Crossmaglen Rangers, the team that gave Knockmore a bit of whipping two years ago. Knockmore had taken out Eire Og on route and had gone to the final on sea of optimism, but they crashed out big time, failing to contain a red-hot Crossmaglen attack where Oisin McConville did a lot of damage and will pose a major threat to Ballina on St. Patrick's Day.

Knockmore also lost that game at midfield and this is where Ballina have a huge advantage, particularly with Liam McHale and David Brady, who know what it is like to be on the big stage in Croke Park. McHale was once again director of operations in Ballinasloe on Sunday, but it was his work in defence which really impressed those who saw the master midfielder at work.

Ballina's defence has been fearless right through the campaign and it was the key factor in their win over Doonbeg last Sunday. Their backs are young and very fast, and if James Devinney can produce another inspirational performance like last Sunday, then Ballina will feel they are capable of containing that Crossmaglen attack. But they have a good defence in general with players willing and able to carrying the ball, and that could be crucial on the wide carpet of Croke Park. Ballina's forward division was viewed as it's weakest section, but a few of them answered their critics on Sunday with five of the starting six forwards getting on the scoresheet.

Tactically Ballina also played a blinder and Noel O'Dowd's decision to play into the wind in the first half proved judicious as did the decision to allow Ger Brady take on a free rein.

Brady's ball-carrying out of defence was critical but so too was the fitness level of the entire Ballina team . But, as can often happy in a game, teams can play better into a strong breeze, and that's how it worked out in the end. Neither side mastered that gale, Ballina failing to utilise it properly in the second half when they were pinned behind their own forty as Doonbeg came at them in waves.

But there was no shirking from the Stephenites. Doonbeg tried hard to wear Ballina down, but there was no flinching. And when it came to critical period of the game with the outcome still in the balance, Ballina had the killer instinct in them, and that is a sign with genuine championships prospects.

That it not to say it was a flawless performance. Certainly you'd have to say Ballina made heavy weather of it in the end as they enjoyed a huge territorial advantage. But they wasted a lot of ball with the breeze at their backs in the second half ,and at times the basketball game was over-played, although it was not a particularly good day for trying to use the long ball, particularly into the wind.

But they won, and that's what counts and it will be good to see the Mayo colours back again in Croke Park. Hopefully, this time the big prize will be landed.

And mention of Mayo, Ballina's success has unfortunately left Mayo manager John Maughan short of a few players he could do with desperately for Sunday's trip to Monaghan.

Ballina were approached by the County Board after Sunday's game to release some players, but one can fully understand Noel 0'Dowd's reluctance to accede to such a request, so close to an All Ireland Final. The risk would be simply to great and manager Noel O"Dowd is quite right to refuse to release any player.

O'Dowd, the county Board and Maughan have maintained good relations right through the championship, and lets us hope that continues, and I don't think anyone would expect Ballina to risk their players in a National League game when an All Ireland is now so close.

Mayo tough trip to Monaghan

Mayo to play Kerry in Manchester on March 7th. Last year Mayo failed to take off due to weather conditions while Kerry were left in Manchester with no game to play.

Connaught Telegraph - News & Sport - February 1999