Respect at the heart of a fierce rivalry

For Ballina Stephenites manager Niall Heffernan, the lessons never stop. After a county final defeat to Westport in 2022, his team returned and went one better by defeating Breaffy to end a 16-year wait for the Mayo senior football title.

“I think you try to learn every year. We didn't win our first final, we got over the line in a very tight, not an enjoyable game last year, so we still have an awful lot to learn,” said Heffernan at this year’s Mayo SFC Final press night in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park last Thursday.

“Every final is different because it depends on your opposition, it depends on the weather and we know the fact that we're a playing top club, brilliant club, local rivals Knockmore, it just brings a whole new life and feeling to it. So we'll know by five o'clock on Sunday whether we've learned enough and whether we've improved enough and whether we've done the things that will get us across the line in that particular challenge.” 

The low-scoring 2023 final drew much commentary but it appears more an anomaly than a sign of a negative style of play for the champions. They hit 5-44 across their three group games in this year’s championship and while the quarter-final win against Castlebar Mitchels (0-8 to 0-7) was hampered by dreadful playing competitions, the Stephenites would score another 1-18 in their extra-time semi-final win over Ballaghaderreen.

But whether it is an end-to-end affair or a dogged battle, how they get over the line won’t matter a jot to Heffernan.

“The low score nature was commented on by a lot of people and it was low scoring, you can't get away from it. We feel that we started the game very brightly, missed a lot of chances and then kind of left ourselves in a dogfight.

“When you're in a final and you haven't won one for quite a long time, and you miss chances, naturally enough players tighten up and it gets a lot more cautious.

“We got over the line, which is brilliant, and if we are lucky enough to perform and get over the line next Sunday, at the end of the day if we win by three points to two, we win by three points to two. We don't set out to do that. We set out to play attacking football. Ballina have been one of the highest scoring teams in the last few years in our championship.” 

After a surprise to defeat to Ballaghaderreen in the group stage, Knockmore have surprised many to become Ballina’s opponents in the final – but it has not come as much of a shock to the Ballina boss.

“Not a bit. I honestly mean it when I say that if I was to pick a team at the beginning of every season, it would be Knockmore. I’m not saying it because they’re in the final; there’s a fantastic rivalry between Ballina and Knockmore, always has been when I was a kid playing.

“You grew up with those guys, you knew them. It was a friendly rivalry. It was intense and hugely competitive. Both clubs respect each other and treat each other with respect. When the game is over, the game is over. Up to the game, we'll be doing every single thing we can, as Knockmore will, to try and get a performance on the day, and that's what it's about.” 

Like Knockmore, Ballina have their own share of injury problems. Padraig O’Hora’s availability after a concussion will depend on whether he passes the Return To Play protocols. There are also concerns about Mikey Murray, Dylan Thornton and Ger Cafferkey, but Heffernan has faith that whoever comes in ‘will step up and do a job’.

“The injury situation with Padraig is different because he has concussion, so you're going through the return to play protocols. God only knows how that will work out. Other guys are doing their best. [Everyone[ will be doing their best to be fit. We'll give them every help we can, but it'll be very close to the game before we have an idea of what squad we'll have going out on the Sunday. But we've worked with a lot of players this year.

“It might be a different job in a different way. Everybody adds a bit to the performance, another one, two, up to 10% extra from everybody. You can make up for a lot of really good players. Knockmore have been decimated with injuries – key, key players – and they've shown in their games how you rise to it. So we hope to emulate them.” 

Should they get through the battle with their neighbours, there will be a trip across the Irish Sea to take on the London champions in the opening game of the Connacht series. Ballina were beaten by club giants Corofin in last season’s semi-final but Heffernan is not looking any further than the next game – and it has been that way from the start.

“To be honest, from the very first game we played this year, we looked only at that game. Then we looked at the next game, and then looked at the next game, because if you start looking too far ahead, you're going to get a kick.

“We tried really hard to focus on each game, whether it was a league game, whether it was a Sweeney Cup game, or a championship game. We looked at that game, focused on that game, and then we moved on to the next one, and that was the beauty of having the two weeks (between matches).

“It was a bit of a struggle when you only had the one week but it was the same for every team. We all knew at the beginning of the season this is the way it's going to be so it made it a different preparation for Ballaghaderreen but at least it was equal for all teams.”