Knockmore's resilience shines through

I received a call from a Knockmore man last week who thought I was absolutely deluded for believing that Breaffy were going to win the county senior championship.

This columnist had gone out on a limb—for my sins—and given them my full backing on the Mayo Football Podcast, having been very impressed with them all year.

The form of Aidan O'Shea and the impact of Sean Deane since he took over as manager had convinced me they were the team to beat. They looked like they had a different edge to them this year. 

The caller believed there wasn't a hope in hell that Breaffy would beat Knockmore. That tells you two things: firstly, how much respect they have for Breaffy, and secondly, and perhaps more importantly, how much belief they have in themselves.

In extra time, when Breaffy were two points up and had an extra man, I'm confident that every ounce of Knockmore's belief was tested. There were very few people in Castlebar who felt Knockmore would claw their way back into the game at that point.

The reality is  —and I firmly believe this — that it was Breaffy who lost that game. I met one of the Breaffy players in the gym only last week, and a supporter on the same day. They both admitted this was probably the worst defeat given how they played. 

There were two critical moments. Firstly was the free at the end that Aidan O'Shea backed himself to take ahead of the goalkeeper, John Vahey. It was outside O’Shea’s range and it wasn’t the best decision for the team.

Although Vahey did miss a long-range effort shortly before that, this was a higher-percentage chance for the goalkeeper —a decision that will linger long into the winter.

Secondly, Conor Beirne’s red card was the ultimate turning point of the game. From the stand, it looked rather harsh, and there seems to be divided opinion on whether it was warranted.

However, no matter how you view it, when you're in that position in a game, you cannot give a referee a reason to level things up. That's what the Breaffy defender did. It was rash and appeared out of control; maybe on another day, it might have been a yellow, but not this time.

That being said, you have to give huge credit to Knockmore.
If there's any team that never, ever shies away from a battle and is capable of grinding out wins, it's them. 

Although I felt they were a bit off their usual intensity and during normal time, they brought more of an edge as the game progressed. 

Knockmore have this unbelievable ability to produce players who will die for the club. 

They might not be the most technically gifted footballers compared to other clubs, but if you were going to war, you'd want them by your side every day of the week  — the definition of honest, hard-working, and willing to go the extra mile. 

They also have that unwavering self-belief.

It's a huge credit to the management to bring in 17 and 18-year-olds, which paid off handsomely. Although with their few injuries, they probably had no choice.

Now they find themselves back in the county final in a year when no one really expected them to be there, particularly after they were close to going into relegation at one stage only a few weeks ago.

I don't think there's a team they'd rather play more than Ballina. They certainly won't fear them —they don't fear anyone —but the fact that it's their biggest rivals, the "townies" as they like to say, they'll be absolutely licking their lips to get at them.

It's been a tough road for Ballina too. 

They were very impressive in overcoming Ballaghaderreen in the semi-final despite missing a number of key players due to injury. 

As reigning county champions, they won't fear anyone either. They sorely missed Mikey Murray in midfield the last day. 

He's been their talisman all year. I was incredibly impressed when we played them in the group stages, and I'm looking forward to seeing him in the county jersey later this year. 

In his absence, Frank Irwin had one of the best games I've ever seen from him and they will need another one out of him at the weekend.

The old(ish) dog Evan Regan, showed he’s still as good as it gets at club against Ballagh’ too. 

If they can't get Murray back on the field in decent shape, it's going to leave a huge gap. Likewise, getting Padraig O’Hora and Dylan Thornton will also be a significant factor in whether they can regain the county title.

Knockmore have a very strong forward line — probably the best of any club in the county at the moment – pound for pound. 

Darren McHale was in great form the last day out, and he's set for a fascinating battle with Sam Callinan. Both are distinctive players with similar styles. 

Liam Durkan was equally as impressive for Knockmore and his movement and workrate would make him a nightmare to mark.
While Ballina may have the better athletes, Knockmore's togetherness and determination are unmatched.

They've gone under the radar this year, got lucky at times, but a team can improve as the year goes on. The potential absence of Pearse Ruttledge to suspension is going to dictate a lot too. 

But having Connell Dempsey back fitter and with a couple of weeks of training in his legs, should alleviate something. Likewise, even if they can only get 30 minutes out of Kevin McLoughlin, I’d fancy the Saffron and Blue to win this North Mayo Battle. 

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