BALLINASLOE footballers will be hoping to write a new chapter in their history on Sunday, when Sean Riddell’s young side take on Ulster champions An Port Mor in the All-Ireland Junior semi-final at Breffni Park, Cavan (2pm).
It’s the first competitive game outside the province of Connacht in 33 years for Galway football’s ‘sleeping giant’, with the enticing prospect of an appearance at Croke Park on February 9 on offer for the winners of what should be a competitive tie.
Ballinasloe have romped through Connacht since overcoming a couple of tricky hurdles on their way to collecting the Galway junior title, which was their target for the campaign this time last year.
With a return to Intermediate football secured, Riddell’s youngsters really have nothing to lose – while their triumphant march to county and provincial titles has revived memories of the club’s glory days when they contested three Galway senior finals in a row between 1979 and 1981.
This team’s progression has provided rich rewards for an abundance of hard work at underage levels in the past 10 to 15 years and the current side’s ‘do or die’ attitude was very much in evidence in the cliffhanger wins over Tuam and Clifden in the domestic championship.
They are a well-balanced side who really never know when they are beaten and have an inspirational leader in county panelist Keith Kelly, whose exploits at centre back have been among the key components in their dramatic run to reach the All-Ireland series.
Riddell, who recalls playing senior football with the club during their heyday, is determined to get Ballinasloe back among the county’s leading clubs but, for the moment, he is delighted just to have a shot at getting to Croke Park in a bid to emulate Clonbur’s achievement in winning the title outright last year.
Riddell went to Newry on a ‘spying mission’ to see the Armagh champions overcome Brackaville of Tyrone by 2-9 to 0-11 in November.
And he certainly was impressed by the quality of the football produced by An Port Mor in the Ulster final!
“They are a nicely balanced side who play good football,” he said. “There was a bit of the physical stuff you’d expect from two Ulster sides, but I was impressed by their performance.”
An Port Mor became the first Armagh side to win the provincial junior decider. First half goals from Shane Nugent and Christopher Lennon sent them on the road to victory, before a red card for Brackaville captain Cahir McGuinness eased their progress to the All-Ireland series.
