The time to make amends for disappointments in the past is fast approaching for both Charlestown and Ballaghaderreen. This year’s TF Royal Theatre senior football championship final pits the losing finalists from the 2006 and 2007 final together in Sunday’s showdown for the Moclair Cup. Ballaghaderreen booked their place in the final two last Sunday thanks to a 3-7 to 0-10 win over Crossmolina, the side who denied them twice at the death in the 2006 final (the game went to a replay ). After shaking the Deel Rovers monkey off their back with thanks to a three-goal salvo at the three-quarter mark, they have their eyes set on another border side.
Charlestown to their credit haven’t let the disappointment of last year’s final loss to Ballina Stephenites distract them from their game this year. Wins over Ballintubber’s, Garrymore and Moy Davitts safely saw them through the group stages, while in the quarter-final they saw off the challenge of an up and coming Castlebar side by a point. before seeing off the surprise team of the season, Claremorris, in the semi-final by four.
But Charlestown manager Ciaran McBrien knows this will be a bigger challenge. “We’ve been stumbling across the line in a few games, winning here and there by a point or two, but we’re winning. Ballaghaderreen will be a totally different outfit than anyone we have faced so far. We have to be on top of our game come Sunday.”
Ballaghaderreen’s route to the final has been no less impressive despite drawing two games, in the final group game to Breaffy and then getting the scare of their lives from a purposeful Ballintubber side in the quarter-final, before regrouping and seeing them off in the replay. But last weekends demolition of Crossmolina is the game that has signalled that they are a side ready to claim the Moclair Cup after flirting around the fringes in the past two years. Frank Kelly is under no illusions that Charlestown are going to be any easier than Crossmolina the last day. “Charlestown are a serious side, we’re under no illusions about that whatsoever. They have a number of players who have been here before and won county championships. I thought they were very unlucky in last year’s final where they played some great football, but got caught like we did last year by the goals. But we’re hoping that this year will be our year and I’ve full faith in the side that go out on Sunday.”
Both sides looking to put things to right
It has been eight years since Charlestown lit up the Mayo championship to pick up only their second ever county title by seeing off Knockmore before going on to claim provincial glory only to fall short in the All Ireland semi-final against Nemo Rangers. Since then the east Mayo men have been there or thereabouts without laying their hands on the trophy. Last year they cut a storm through the early stages of the final only to see a resilient Ballina side catch them at the final turn. The lack of success is something that McBrien is hoping to put right this weekend. “We have eight or nine lads left from the 2001 team, but I suppose you could say that we have underachieved since then. We have been in a lot of quarter-finals and semi-finals and this will be our third final since then, but it’s been a while since we won one and it’s time that we put that right.”
Ballaghaderreen are back to right a wrong in many people’s eyes when they took on Crossmolina and had all but one finger on the cup before Peadar Gardiner’s late goal forced a replay and the experienced heads from Deelside fended them off in another titanic struggle in the replay. It’s been 35 years since the Moclair Cup rested its head for the winter in the border town and they have left no stone unturned in their pursuit of ending that particular famine. Ballaghaderreen’s manager Frank Kelly is hoping that things will go right this time out. “We are very much so looking forward to this game. It was a big disappointment in 2006 and last year we were playing some super football, but just didn’t make it at the end. We will be hoping that psychologically getting over the side who beat us (Crossmolina ) in the 2006 final and in league finals will be a big boost going into the game on Sunday.”
Plenty of talent on show
This Sunday’s final will be the first time since 1994 that a north Mayo side hasn’t featured in the final. But that doesn’t mean the quality on show will be any less. The Ballaghaderreen attacking threat will be led by Andy Moran and Barry Regan. Regan in particular has been in outstanding form and the marquee forward in this year’s championship scoring, 2-35 to date in six games. Barry Kelly and James Kilcullen will be a towering influence at midfield and their battle against Tom Parsons and David Tiernan will be one of the most fascinating facets of Sunday’s game. Stephen Drake picked up the man of the match accolade in last weekend’s semi-final and the Ballagh’ full back will be a key man again as he battles to gain the upper hand on Tony Mulligan. In front of Drake is the returning hero Pearse Hanley who has slotted in at the number six position in the last two games. Hanley’s introduction into a flagging side in the first game against Ballintubber caused quite a stir of excitement in the county. The few weeks since then has given him plenty of time to shake the cobwebs out of his game and his battle with Ciaran McDonald the last day was one that everyone kept their eye on.
Ballagh’ may look to some to have all the aces up their sleeve but Charlestown are a serious side with serious ambitions and plenty quality players. Aidan Higgins, Kevin Duigenan and Enda Casey are all experienced players who know what needs to be done at the back and can pose their own threats going forward. Parsons, who has been so impressive in his debut season as an inter-county footballer will be jetting off to join Sean Boylan’s international rules panel after the game and Tony Mulligan and Mark Caffery will both cause plenty of problems up front. This is going to be a close one, Paddy Power have Ballaghaderreen going in as 8/15 favourites with Charlestown at 15/8, while the draw, which is a distinct possibility, is available at 7/1. The man in the middle on Sunday will be Lacken man Charlie Collins, who will be taking care of his first senior county final. It all gets under way on Sunday in McHale Park at 3.30pm.
