Ballina set for second run at Senior Football
By Liam Hogan
Ballina return to senior football championship action for the second consecutive year when they take on Cahir at The Ragg next Sunday at 2.30pm.
After reaching the quarter finals in their first campaign in 2023, they are hopeful of building on that and preparation has been something of mixed fortunes as they expected to do well after a positive year.
They reached the semi-final of the County League Division 1 but fell to JK Brackens by a point. Moving onto the championship they enjoyed back-to-back group stage victories over Ardfinnan and Moycarkey/Borris but lost the third round clash to Loughmore/Castleiney 1-13 to 3-5. They progressed to the quarter finals but Ballina, short the services of Steven O’Brien and David Kelly, found eventual champions Clonmel Commercials too hot to handle and the North men lost by a big margin.
Former Clare, Mayo and Offaly manager John Maughan, who was an advisor last year, isn’t part of their management this year where Ballina won one of their three group games in the league with victory over JK Brackens while losing to Clonmel Commercials and Moyle Rovers.
As the strongest dual club in North Tipperary, the hurling championship took centre stage in the meantime and Ballina lost to Burgess in the North Premier Intermediate Championship but made amends with a two-point victory over neighbours Silvermines, but Tipperary captain Steven O’Brien limped out of that game with a leg injury and would be rated as doubtful for next Sunday’s senior football opener.
Terry O’Halloran is one of a sizeable number of dual players and speaking at the launch of the FBD Insurance County Championships, he feels they are coping with the demands of both codes pretty well.
“It’s easy when you have two very good managers,” O’Halloran said football manager Kevin Byrne and hurling manager Adrian Hurley.
“They have a good bit of understanding between the two of them.”
Last year’s campaign began well with two wins but ended in disappointment with defeats to Loughmore/Castleiney and Clonmel Commercial, but O’Halloran feels they are more aware of the challenge this time around.
“It was a great experience,” he added.
“Clonmel Commercials are a different class. Remember we were short two of our best players in Steven O’Brien and David Kelly through injury that day. It’s very difficult to play without a full squad to play from. But we are really the chasing pack behind them (Commercials) but if we can get anyway close to them who knows.”
Ballina are in Group 2, a three team group along with Sunday’s opponents Cahir and Kilsheelan/Kilcash.
Because of the decision by Drom & Inch not to field in the championship, the format had to be altered with three different sized groups with the top four teams from group 1 and the top two teams from groups 2 & 3 progressing to the quarter finals. The remaining 5 clubs will play for the Tom Cusack Cup with no relegation being played for this year.