Fearless Ballylanders boss O’Neill vows to rattle mighty Nemo stars
It’s the classic David v Goliath affair, but the Limerick champions are not going making up the numbers.
Says coach Eamon O’Neill. “In everyone’s eyes we are the minnows and are given no hope against a club of Nemo’s stature, but I can assure you, we will give a good account of ourselves.
“The experts are saying it is going to be no contest, and that’s rather unfair on us. We have our own game plan and when it works it is highly effective. Once we get them into the cauldron of Kilmallock, there is no knowing how the game will pan out.
“Nemo love the open spaces and can destroy a team if they are allowed to play their free-flowing football. Kilmallock is a bit on the tight side which should suit our style of play. It’s going to be an interesting game.”
Ballylanders have had no game in the Munster campaign so far, and were underdogs going into the Limerick county final against Drom Broadford, but after a shaky start, recorded a comfortable victory.
“Once we settled and brought Mike O’Brien to midfield, we took over and played some great football. The switch of Mike was the crucial move. He was superb for us and there was never any doubt about the outcome of that final,” said O’Neill.
“We have succeeded in what we set out to do at the start of the year, which was to win our own county championship. Anything after that is a bonus for us.
“There is great football tradition here and it would be a massive boost for the game in the club and county if we were to beat Nemo and get to the Munster final. They are the team we all aspire to. Football is a religion with them, and any player who pulls on a jersey for them wants to play and win at the highest level.
“I’m not going to set myself and the team up for a fall by saying we will beat them. We are the complete underdog going in against the masters. We have our game plan and if it works, well and good. We’ll give it our best shot and hopefully it will be good enough.”
Nemo go into the game without two players who figured prominently for them in the recent Cork county final. David Niblock has gone to America while Sean O’Brien is away in Australia. Both are current inter-county players, but the Capwell side have excellent cover.
“We are fortunate to have readymade replacements for David and Sean,” said Nemo coach Ephie Fitzgerald. “Their absence gives other players the opportunity to show what they can do. Competition for places is what keeps us going.
“We are favourites every time we go out but we’ve come to handle that. The lads looked very sharp in training this week. I know it’s going to be a battle in Kilmallock, but we’ll be ready for that.
“We have our hearts set on winning the Munster title and having a crack off the All-Ireland, but we must take it one game at a time and we certainly won’t be underestimating Ballylanders.”
The Cork champions have done all that has been asked of them so far this season. They should have lost to Clonakilty early in the campaign but showed marvellous resilience in hanging on for the draw before winning the replay in another very close contest.
The county final against Ilen Rovers was expected to be a one-sided affair after Nemo had beaten the West Cork side by 15 points in the opening round, but again they survived another searching test to win their third title in a row.
It’s Nemo’s ability to dig themselves out of such tight corners that has seen them reach this stage of the championship, but it also begs the question: how long can they keep doing it?
Tight pitch or not, the Cork champions will be clear favourites to advance to another Munster final, but will have to play to their potential to do so, because this is a good Ballylanders side, with nothing to lose and everything to gain.
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