Great To See Avant Money Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada Having Its First Cut Today
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Here we go again - Mohill v Ballinamore?.
Every day is a school day.
The county final last Sunday in Ballinamore was the first county final at that venue since Aughavas beat St Mary’s Kiltoghert 1-7 to 0-6 in 1963.
I swim every morning in the pool and Dublin people are so different to Leitrim people. I meet more or less the same people every morning. I know them to see and don’t even know some of their names. It is totally different to Leitrim. Most people in Leitrim know everybody by their first name, knows their parents and their families, and if they are married, would most likely know their in-laws. One or two of them in the swimming club would know I am from Leitrim. Most of them have no interest in GAA or maybe a passing interest. On Tuesday morning one of them said to me, ‘Leitrim looked like the Golden Vale on TG4’. ‘Yes’ said I, ‘we do wear the Green & Gold’. He displayed his little knowledge of the GAA when he replied ‘the same as Kerry’. ‘Exactly’ said I, ‘and we have 38 All-Irelands between us’. He seemed surprised, but didn’t probe any further and I didn’t elaborate.
Following on from my piece last week can I ask you to stop knocking on Tommy Moran’s door looking for a full Irish. The only chance of having breakfast in Tommy’s ‘Café’ is to book well in advance. Tommy is ran off his feet.
The other Tommy, Tommy Conlon summed up the Mohill v Ballinamore games as the Ali v Frazier of Leitrim football and it accurately describes the match. At the 38th minute Ballinamore led 1-8 to 0-8, leading by three. By the 51st minute Mohill has scored five points in a row to leave the score 1-8 to 0-13, and lead by two. From the 51st minute to the 58th minute Ballinamore scored three points in a row, to lead 1-11 to 0-13. Five Mohill punches were followed by three Ballinamore counter punches. Mohill left it until the 63rd minute to land the haymaker. The equaliser was brilliantly worked. Twelve Mohill players handled the ball before the ball was passed to Domhnaill Flynn, his shot was cleared off the line by Darren Maxwell, Evan Harkin won the dirty ball, passed to Donal Duignan, who gave the assist to Matthew Murphy, to score the equaliser. There was no margin for error. It was a score worthy of any final. It showed Mohill’s ability, experience and resilience with time almost up. With sixty minutes on the clock and three minutes injury time no one could predict who would win?. When you look at what happened in the last twenty five minutes of the game how can anyone predict what is going to happen in the replay?.
In my lifetime Mohill have played Ballinamore in the county final four times, 1971, 1972, 2021 & 2024. Mohill won in 1971, Ballinamore won in 1972 and 2021. So it is two wins to one in favour of Ballinamore with the replay next weekend to crown the 2024 champions. Over the four finals the scoring difference is plus 5 for Ballinamore (52-47). That’s how even the teams are.
The only observation I will make on the game last Sunday, is that Mohill had two good goal chances and didn’t take them, Ballinamore didn’t have any clear goal chances, but got one. In the modern game the team that gets the goal(s) are very hard to beat.
One final point, no team has ever achieved spectacular success without a modicum of good luck.
When Greece won the European Championships in 2004 this was what was said,
‘Greece winning, I still can’t believe. I think it was 50 percent down to their good defensive structure, 20 percent due to growing confidence, 10 percent due to the stupidity of their opponents and 20 percent luck’
However it is widely accepted that luck seems to follow the team with momentum and the right mentality.
The prize of making history is big for both teams and we all love history makers. History makers are never forgotten. Is it going to be Ballinamore or Mohill?.
I haven’t got a clue. Whichever team gets that the bit of luck, will take home the Fenagh Cup?.
Next Round of - Ali v Frazier, Ballinamore on Saturday evening at 4.00pm.
See you there
Eamonn Duignan
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