Mayo SFC final: He who dares wins, will that be Breaffy or Ballina?

by John Melvin

HE who dares wins.

A phrase in more modern times attributed to Del Boy in the hit British sitcom Only Fools and Horses, and it could prove very apt in the context of Sunday’s Connacht Gold Mayo Senior Football Championship final.

So far it has been Breaffy who have dared to defy the odds, but they don’t see it that way according to two of the men who are leading the club into a fifth county final in 11 years as the club celebrates 70 years in existence.

In fact, the comments made by manager Konrad Coghill and top scorer Aidan O’Shea in post-match interviews with Mayo GAA TV after they beat Castlebar Mitchels to reach the final would suggest there is a different mindset within the Breaffy camp this year.

The question put to both men was in different guises but it basically came down to asking them to explain how Breaffy, written off by so many of having any chance of making the semi-final, let alone the final itself, are where they are - on the verge of making history.

It not alone goes back to he who dares wins, but learning the lessons from losing – and it would seem that Breaffy found enough in the embers of that first round defeat to Ballina to rekindle a new flame of hope within a group that looked well out of shape in the league. Someone got the whip out.

Coghill came across as a man who was wondering what all the fuss is about. It was clearly no great surprise to him or his team that they were in a final given the work they had put in over the last 10 weeks in particular.

He explained: “It been a long, long year, 10 weeks now, and this was a tough and intense game but credit to our guys, they dug in.

The manager added: “Our defence stood tall. Our set-up is a strong defensively, hugely physical around the middle third and the rest happens after that.”

It seems a simple formula, and it is – and what’s more, it has worked.

It does help when you have a player of the calibre of Aidan O’Shea on board, a man who is currently in the form of his life.

“There is no question that Aiden is talented and totally committed to the club. He is an inspiration to those around him and a great team leader, and great teams have greater leaders. He is ours,” Coghill said with a passion in his voice

Konrad didn’t see anything particularly different from teams who have reached finals in the past. “I don’t know if there is anything different. We are just back in another final and our motto is the same as always – we go out to win every championship game we play in.”

That has worked by and large, and they can be forgiven that opening round defeat to Ballina Stephenites – but as Aidan O’Shea explained to Mayo GAA TV in his man of the match interview, that defeat may have come with a silver lining. (It must be pointed out, however, that neither Aidan nor Konrad were aware of who they were meeting in the final prior to those interviews).

Said O'Shea: “That game gave us an awful lot of belief, woke us up perhaps, and we realised we got something going here. We had come off a bad league and just about stayed up but I think that game against Ballina gave us a lot of belief that we have a chance against anybody, and that is all you can ask.”

O’Shea’s also referenced the influence of the younger players coming on board.

“There are young lads coming through. This is an honest bunch of lads who are trying their best. There are no frills or fancy football. We are not going to be playing fancy club football this time of the year. We have battled through to this and that’s what club football is about, battling hard and digging it out.”

Those battling qualities saw them beat Westport, the defending champions, and Castlebar Mitchels to reach the final, Breaffy’s belief in themselves carrying them to victory on both occasions.

With those deep-rooted convictions within the Breaffy team, the evidence continues to mount which would suggest they can bring home the club’s first ever senior title after four failed attempts.

The manager may feel there is no difference between this team and those who have tried but failed in the past, but I would beg to differ. There is no baggage on board this team and once again they will relish the underdog tag. Some fresh blood has been infused at various stages and their contributions has been significant.

Defensively they are well structured. Michael Hall, Mark Dervan, David Livingstone, Daire Morrin Conor Melly and Conor Beirne all put in huge shifts to get them over Westport.

Their bench, too, has depth to it, with the likes of James Minogue returning from injury and playing particularly well, while the experienced former Longford player, Colm Flynn, has impacted on Breaffy’s rise this year.

Mattie Ruane and Conor O’Shea have developed a formidable midfield partnership, while there have been improvements all round in players such as Robbie Fadden, Oisin Tunney and Davitt Neary in particular, while Tommy O’Reilly will always empty the tank.

And then there is the lighthouse on the edge of the box, where Aidan O’Shea has thrived in this championship, a beacon of hope and inspiration and a player is going to pose all sorts of challenges for Ballina manager Niall Heffernan. You sense O'Shea has unfinished business.

One final heave left in him to get that Breaffy scrum over the winning line.

The uncertainty of injured players and whether Jack Irwin will have his red card rescinded leaves a shroud of uncertainty over Ballina Stephenites, who remain the only unbeaten team in this year’s championship.

That in itself should be as good an endorsement you could get. Ballina have more areas to improve on than Breaffy, but the ability to improve further is clearly there.

They had no difficulty in getting past Belmullet in the quarterfinal but the semi-final clash against Knockmore was well short of what will be needed to take a county title.

Ballina were the better team in a bad game but victory may have come at a big price if the red card stands, while one of their top players, Dylan Thornton, is in a race against time to recover from a groin injury.

The return of Mikey Murray, who is also nursing an injury, would be a huge bonus but a two-week break may not be long enough for some of the walking wounded to be fully fit for what is likely to be tough physical battle.

But it’s not all bad new. Ballina have an ace in the pack in Evan Regan, who is enjoying a productive season.

Luke Feeney at full-forward is learning fast and with better service he could pose more of a threat than he did against Knockmore, where he really didn’t get enough of the ball, while Conor McStay has the skills to trouble that Breaffy defence if he is let off the leash. Ciaran Treacy impacted when he was brought on, but clearly Ballina will need to get a better return from their starting forwards.

Midfield will be a huge battleground and Irwin’s absence in this could be a serious if not a fatal blow to Ballina’s hopes.

The pressure could be on their defence and how they man-up to the Breaffy attack, and in particular how they cope with, or more likely curtail, the influence Aidan O’Shea, who is likely to run into Padraic O’Hora.

O’Hora is a ball of industry and energy, but his enthusiasm can bring trouble as he does play on the edge. If he can avoid a black card in particular he is likely to have a major say on whether the Moclair Cup returns Moyside.

Defensively, Ballina did well against Knockmore, with the experienced Ger Cafferkey also likely to be playing close attention to O’Shea, while the role of goalkeeper David Clarke, no more than his opposite number Jack Livingstone, cannot be underestimated.

The Ballina 'keeper would need to be more careful with his distribution off the ball and his tendency to wander a bit too far from home at times.

Overall, there is a lot of talent in this Ballina team but talent can only be exploited when it is allowed space – and space could be tight in this final, although Ballina might be better equipped to exploit the open space of Hastings Insurance MacHale Park if the weather holds.

A win is within Breaffy's grasp. The belief is clearly there within the camp. It is the 70th anniversary of the club and many believe the stars are aligned for a blue wave to sweep over Castlebar on Sunday evening.

The more pragmatic observer might say Ballina, like Breaffy, need this title after losing the final last year, their one and only final appearance since they last won the title in 2007.

Yes, hunger will come into it and these two teams have voracious appetites. Luck, too, will play a part in what is sure to be a fascinating final, although a classic is unlikely given the defensive nature of the modern game and both these teams are well equipped to bring down the barriers.

There are leaders on both teams. In the end it will come down to he who dares wins.

Ballina were short-listed for this title from the early stages when they were rated as top contenders just behind Westport.

There is a saying in horse racing when it comes to putting your money down: never change your mind. However, this prediction clearly comes with a health warning.

Verdict: Ballina Stephenites