Jerseys mix up fails to rattle Ballinasloe

Date Published: 28-Feb-2013

CIARAN TIERNEY

THE Ballinasloe footballers might have turned up at Croke Park without their team jerseys on Sunday, but hardly another thing went wrong all afternoon as the Galway champions captured the All-Ireland Junior title in style.

For team manager Seán Riddell, it was a dream occasion. To see his players perform with such panache and style on the biggest stage of all, with his tactics and match day plan paying off so handsomely, it was no wonder he had a big smile as he returned to the dressing-room under the Cusack Stand.

At last it was time for the team of 1980 to put the disappointment of losing the senior All-Ireland behind them, as Riddell and his selectors had unearthed a new generation of heroes for the town. Famously, the team containing Riddell and selector Pat Cunningham did not get to Croke Park for that final 33 years ago. Not that it mattered on Sunday.

“The only thing we lost out in 1980 was the fact that we didn’t win,” said Riddell. I wouldn’t care if it was below in the middle of the bog if we won the All-Ireland. I wouldn’t care where you play an All-Ireland, as long as you win it. That’s the key. I said that to the boys inside. I told them just to play as if they were at home out in their back gardens.”

So relaxed were Ballinasloe, of course, that they even forgot to throw the jerseys onto the team bus. But once they got onto the field, wearing a set of gear donated by Dublin club Na Fianna, they executed the perfect game plan against the Kerry and Munster champions.

“We moved the ball and got it going early. That was the key, in the wide area of Croke Park. Kenmare seemed a little bit tired. I did watch two of their games against Castleknock. They were ding-dongs, going to extra time. Particularly this time of the year, when the ground is pretty heavy, it does take it out of the legs and the body to play three games in as many weeks,” said Riddell.

Ultimately, he said, the difference was that Ballinasloe put scores on the board during the periods when they dominated the game.

“Everyone gets their patch. It’s down to whoever gets more scores in their patch. We had more patches today, fortunately enough, like. To be truthful and honest, we missed a lot of changes at vital times which could have pushed us on a bit. In fairness to Kenmare, they didn’t panic either and they came back at us,” he said.

“We hit diagonal balls into the corners, moved the ball quickly. The lads showed for the ball and they made it stick today. It just was our day today. These lads are tremendous to work with. It’s awful easy to manage and coach them. They actually push the boundaries up for us all the time.”

Riddell was delighted that the run to the final had given such joy to the people of the town in harsh economic times. His ultimate aim is to guide Ballinasloe back to senior football, but he was delighted to have lifted a title at Croke Park. He felt the pressure had been off the players since they beat Clifden in the county final.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.