‘It’s a final; anything can happen’- Ballyfin manager Dean Malone

Ballyfin manager Dean Malone knows his side will have to produce another big performance if they are to return to senior football when they face Kilcavan in Saturday night’s Laois Shopping Centre Intermediate Football Championship final.

The Graiguecullen native is looking to guide Ballyfin back to senior at the first time of asking.

Laois Hire O’Moore Park provides the setting for the 7pm showdown, with Ballyfin having earned their place in the decider after a dramatic semi-final victory over Ballylinan.

That game looked to be heading Ballyfin’s way in normal time, only for Ryan Brady to find the net with the last kick to bring the contest into extra-time. Ballyfin responded in impressive fashion, however, eventually winning by 10 points.

For Malone, getting through the semi-final was ultimately what mattered most, particularly given the manner in which the game had unfolded.

“It's nice to get over the line, no matter what way you do it. But again, Monday morning doesn’t be long rolling back around and you get your feet firmly back on the ground again. Thankfully you're able to put your feet back on the ground and able to prep for a final in two weeks. It’s a great position to be in,” he said.

“If someone said you win by a point and you get out the other side and you know what’s on the other side of it, you’d bite their hands off beforehand. So yeah look to come through extra-time, having made hard work of it ourselves in even getting it to extra-time. But no, look, you'd be fairly happy now with the response of what we've got from the lads in extra time as well and how the game ended up finishing out.”

There was plenty for Ballyfin to contend with in the lead-up to and during that semi-final, with the club balancing its football and hurling commitments throughout the championship.

A significant number of Malone’s footballers also feature for the Ballyfin hurlers, meaning the demands on the group have been considerable. Malone believes that experience of playing regularly has helped keep his players sharp, despite the obvious challenges.

“I think we have a crossover of maybe eight or nine kind of even starters. I think we went seven weeks in a row there because there were two rounds of hurling before a football game was even thrown in,” he explained.

“I suppose you’re going from week to week, kind of knowing who you have. We had five weeks off there after winning the first two rounds, and you're hoping and praying that lads come through the hurling unscathed. But what we do have is a massive amount of energy and the lads are match sharp, you know, and it's hard to beat that no matter what code you're playing.”

The response to Brady’s late goal was perhaps just as important. Rather than allowing the setback to derail them, Ballyfin regrouped and made their superior legs count once extra-time began.

“We just had to go back to the drawing board at the end of full-time. It was very calm. We knew that we had the legs to really run at them,” Malone said.

“What really benefited us would have been the black card and them having to play the first eight minutes of extra-time with a man less. We knew that we could really get a big squeeze on them, and thankfully we did.”

While Sean Moore remains a key figure for Ballyfin, one of the developments Malone has been happiest with this year has been the greater spread of contributors on the scoreboard.

Moore hit 12 points in the semi-final, but Ballyfin also got important scores from Adam Connolly, Darragh Connolly, Ciarán Quinn and Ronan Carroll. Malone believes that variety will be important against Kilcavan.

“I would have been very aware of that. For opposition teams, planning and plotting and trying to get an idea. They’re always going to try and lock down; they’ll probably put their first defender on Sean Moore and maybe even James Moore,” he said.

“Thankfully, we have a good spread of scores, maybe not across the first couple of games, but definitely against Ballylinan, we had a nice spread of scores.”

“The likes of Adam Connolly kicking five from play, Darragh kicking a couple of scores as well, which were much needed. Ciarán Quinn getting forward and kicking an absolutely excellent score in extra-time. So there was really a good spread, Ronan Carroll, as well.”

However, Malone is conscious that Ballyfin cannot afford to be wasteful in a county final.

The manager was pleased with the spread of scorers, but admitted the team’s shooting efficiency against Ballylinan was not at the level required and believes that is an area which must improve before Saturday.

“Our shooting efficiency wasn't hectic, and it's something that we need to really chase after in these two weeks leading up to the county final,” he said.

“When it comes to the county final, you've absolutely got to take your chances. Kilcavan have those types of forwards to punish you. Coming back to ourselves then, it's definitely something that we will need to get better at.”

There will be a familiar feel to Saturday’s final, with Ballyfin and Kilcavan having already met in the Round 2 Winners’ Section.

“It’s a final; anything can happen. For me, sometimes I look at it going, there's probably no favourites. It takes on a life of its own, and it may resemble the first game; it may not,” he said.

“You're obviously looking at a different environment, bigger pitch, more space. I’m sure that will suit Kilcavan as well. They've got plenty of legs, as we saw on Friday night against Mountmellick and forwards that can hurt you as well.”

Malone has plenty of respect for Kilcavan manager Liam Lonergan, but insists Ballyfin’s primary focus will be on ensuring they perform to their own capabilities.

“I have a great relationship with Liam (Lonergan), who's over Kilcavan. I know he's very diligent in his prep as well, and he'll have a good game plan to try and counteract us. For both teams, you're almost not too worried about the opposition; you need to get your own house in order.”

The prize awaiting the winners is a return to senior football, something Ballyfin have targeted since the beginning of the campaign.

Ballyfin spent from 2014 until last year at senior level, and with three teams now dropping down from the SFC, Malone is fully aware of the opportunity presented by Saturday’s final.

“There’s huge energy and enthusiasm around the place to try and get back to senior football with the situation around the structures changing. Without putting pressure on either team, both sets of clubs know the reward of what it is. With the three teams coming down, it's time to make hay while the sun shines,” he said.

“It’s definitely something that we would have set out from day one. That’s what it's all about, getting back to senior football.”

Despite that ambition, Malone knows there are no guarantees in a final, particularly with the possibility of difficult late-September conditions adding another variable.

“The final will take on a life of its own and you just don't know what way it will go. The weather could be a massive factor,” he said.

“The night we played against Kilcavan over in Raheen, it was a lovely, dry evening. You're almost into winter football at this time of the year. It could be a really small, tight margin that gets a team over the line.”

And after the drama of their semi-final victory, Malone would be more than happy if Ballyfin can come through another close contest on Saturday night with the same outcome.

“Hopefully that is us by the end of it,” he ended.