Birr vs Ballyhale Preview
Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 4:56 pm
And so it comes to pass, a Birr and Ballyhale Leinster final in Portlaoise. One side enters the contest with a star studded line up and an impeccable pedigree, having dominated not just their county but the country in the previous fifteen years. Their opponents on the other hand have just won their first county title in a generation, backboned by gifted individuals who will undoubtedly go on to reap every reward the game has to offer.
Sound familiar? It should, this was exactly the build up to the 1991 Leinster final when a young and hungry Birr team came head to head with Ballyhale who at the time were sitting top of the tree with three All Ireland titles. Birr supporters of a nervous disposition should probably look away now, because if the comparison is to continue, it could all get a little bit ugly next Sunday and beyond. In 1991, Birr, having won their first Offaly title in twenty years, beat Ballyhale 2-14 to 0-3 with a performance that rubberstamped their arrival into the country’s elite tier of clubs. Ballyhale struggled to recover from that defeat, eventually getting relegated into intermediate five years later. Let’s hope for Birr’s sake this symmetry comes to an end sooner rather than later.
Looking forward to Sunday, it’s safe to say that not since that winter’s day fifteen years ago will Birr have entered a match as such big outsiders for a championship fixture. In a world where everybody likes to make bizarre claims that their team has been “written off” even in the most 50/50 of games, this is one match where such a claim is more than justified. With Ballyhale trading at around 2/5 to win Sunday’s encounter in normal time it’s pretty clear what the bookmaking community believe is the likely outcome. When one compares Ballyhale’s exquisite performance in the Kilkenny final with the way Birr eked past a dogged Coolderry team, it’s hard to find fault with that logic. All the same, for one to satisfy themselves with such a cursory glance at the bare facts would be unfair to a Birr panel that has earned our respect with plenty to spare over the past decade and more, so let’s dig a little deeper.
Looking at the two teams, it’s hard to get away from the conclusion that the clash between the Birr half back line and the Shamrocks half forwards will be utterly vital to the outcome of this game. Brian Whelahan, Rory Hanniffy and Niall Claffey have formed a nigh on impregnable unit over the past couple of seasons and it is on that foundation that Birr build most of their performances. While it goes without saying that Henry Shefflin, hurler of the year and unquestioned “MVP” of modern hurling will command a lot of attention assuming he continues to start at centre forward, he has been very ably assisted this year by Kilkenny under 21 TJ Reid who has contributed as many scores from play as his more vaunted team mate over the past three games. In addition to a proven ability to take a score, Reid is both aggressive in fighting for 50/50 ball and an absolute nuisance if you’re trying to clear your lines in his general vicinity. Beyond this line, Paddy Reid and Maurice Aylward are typical Kilkenny corner forwards with no shortage of eye for goal or the craft to convert one, but with this Ballyhale team, it’s the half forward line, ably assisted by Cha Fitzpatrick backing up from midfield that look after the bulk of the scoring. This area of the field is truly a class of the heavyweights and as such would be worth the entrance fee alone.
While it’s difficult to pick any weak links in the Shamrocks side from 8-15, Birr will need to exploit any chinks that appear from 1-7. To call any members of this Ballyhale team “weaknesses” is to do them a serious dis-service, however unlike their forward division, most of whom would be quite comfortable at county level, the back line has conceded some reasonable tallies this year, most notably 1-14 to Dunamaggin in the county semi final, notable due to the lack of any star forwards in Dunamaggin’s ranks. Aidan Cummins at centre back is the exception to this – he has dominated fine players included Andy Comerford and Paul Codd so far this year, and Gary Hanniffy will not have it easy. Rather than look to go through the big centre forward, Birr need to find ways to release their potential match winners, Michael Dwane and Sean Ryan in the corners. Full back Eamonn Walsh is not renowned for his mobility, while corners Paul Shefflin and Padraig Holden rely on hurling rather than pace to survive. Both Dwane and Ryan could cause problems if they are given the chance to get in behind their markers. Likewise if Dylan Hayden gets a run on Eamonn Walsh, he could potentially have a productive day.
Overall however this will be more of a test of the Birr defending than their attacking. Even in losing, Shamrocks very rarely score less than 20 points in 60 minutes of hurling and failing to keep a tight rein on their leading lights around the middle of the field could have disastrous consequences. This is where the lack of any real test for the Birr half backs to this point may prove to be a problem. Looking back fifteen years ago one last time, 2-14 to 0-3 is an extremely unlikely scoreline this Sunday. On the other hand, 2-24 to 0-13 is altogether more plausible and while one hopes that Birr can avoid such a heavy defeat, it’s difficult to see them pulling off what would be one of the greatest wins in their history next Sunday all the same.
Sound familiar? It should, this was exactly the build up to the 1991 Leinster final when a young and hungry Birr team came head to head with Ballyhale who at the time were sitting top of the tree with three All Ireland titles. Birr supporters of a nervous disposition should probably look away now, because if the comparison is to continue, it could all get a little bit ugly next Sunday and beyond. In 1991, Birr, having won their first Offaly title in twenty years, beat Ballyhale 2-14 to 0-3 with a performance that rubberstamped their arrival into the country’s elite tier of clubs. Ballyhale struggled to recover from that defeat, eventually getting relegated into intermediate five years later. Let’s hope for Birr’s sake this symmetry comes to an end sooner rather than later.
Looking forward to Sunday, it’s safe to say that not since that winter’s day fifteen years ago will Birr have entered a match as such big outsiders for a championship fixture. In a world where everybody likes to make bizarre claims that their team has been “written off” even in the most 50/50 of games, this is one match where such a claim is more than justified. With Ballyhale trading at around 2/5 to win Sunday’s encounter in normal time it’s pretty clear what the bookmaking community believe is the likely outcome. When one compares Ballyhale’s exquisite performance in the Kilkenny final with the way Birr eked past a dogged Coolderry team, it’s hard to find fault with that logic. All the same, for one to satisfy themselves with such a cursory glance at the bare facts would be unfair to a Birr panel that has earned our respect with plenty to spare over the past decade and more, so let’s dig a little deeper.
Looking at the two teams, it’s hard to get away from the conclusion that the clash between the Birr half back line and the Shamrocks half forwards will be utterly vital to the outcome of this game. Brian Whelahan, Rory Hanniffy and Niall Claffey have formed a nigh on impregnable unit over the past couple of seasons and it is on that foundation that Birr build most of their performances. While it goes without saying that Henry Shefflin, hurler of the year and unquestioned “MVP” of modern hurling will command a lot of attention assuming he continues to start at centre forward, he has been very ably assisted this year by Kilkenny under 21 TJ Reid who has contributed as many scores from play as his more vaunted team mate over the past three games. In addition to a proven ability to take a score, Reid is both aggressive in fighting for 50/50 ball and an absolute nuisance if you’re trying to clear your lines in his general vicinity. Beyond this line, Paddy Reid and Maurice Aylward are typical Kilkenny corner forwards with no shortage of eye for goal or the craft to convert one, but with this Ballyhale team, it’s the half forward line, ably assisted by Cha Fitzpatrick backing up from midfield that look after the bulk of the scoring. This area of the field is truly a class of the heavyweights and as such would be worth the entrance fee alone.
While it’s difficult to pick any weak links in the Shamrocks side from 8-15, Birr will need to exploit any chinks that appear from 1-7. To call any members of this Ballyhale team “weaknesses” is to do them a serious dis-service, however unlike their forward division, most of whom would be quite comfortable at county level, the back line has conceded some reasonable tallies this year, most notably 1-14 to Dunamaggin in the county semi final, notable due to the lack of any star forwards in Dunamaggin’s ranks. Aidan Cummins at centre back is the exception to this – he has dominated fine players included Andy Comerford and Paul Codd so far this year, and Gary Hanniffy will not have it easy. Rather than look to go through the big centre forward, Birr need to find ways to release their potential match winners, Michael Dwane and Sean Ryan in the corners. Full back Eamonn Walsh is not renowned for his mobility, while corners Paul Shefflin and Padraig Holden rely on hurling rather than pace to survive. Both Dwane and Ryan could cause problems if they are given the chance to get in behind their markers. Likewise if Dylan Hayden gets a run on Eamonn Walsh, he could potentially have a productive day.
Overall however this will be more of a test of the Birr defending than their attacking. Even in losing, Shamrocks very rarely score less than 20 points in 60 minutes of hurling and failing to keep a tight rein on their leading lights around the middle of the field could have disastrous consequences. This is where the lack of any real test for the Birr half backs to this point may prove to be a problem. Looking back fifteen years ago one last time, 2-14 to 0-3 is an extremely unlikely scoreline this Sunday. On the other hand, 2-24 to 0-13 is altogether more plausible and while one hopes that Birr can avoid such a heavy defeat, it’s difficult to see them pulling off what would be one of the greatest wins in their history next Sunday all the same.