Oulart the Ballagh bid to finally grasp Leinster final opportunity

Paul Roche admits Sunday may be the last opportunity for Oulart the Ballagh’s veterans to slay their Leinster ghosts.

Roche, 33, is one of those who has suffered the indignity of four consecutive provincial final defeats from 2010 to 2013 but insists they are feeling no pressure as they prepare to face Cuala.

“It probably is the last chance that Oulart are going to get,” he says.

“At same time, the talk in the village is ‘if we win it we win it’. There’s no pressure. Every other year we were favourites going in to it. That’s gone now.

“It was a relief to win a county final again because the talk was ‘we’re gone, we’re not going to win another county final’.

“There was nine fellas under 25 used. There’s plenty of underage lads coming through so the club isn’t going too far yet.”

Roche, who finished up with Wexford in 2012 after being plagued with groin problems, says there isn’t much optimism for the team around the area.

As a local publican - his Oulart Hill Bar located in the middle of the village - he’s been privy to all the chatter as negative as it has been.

“A woman came in the other day and said ‘if we beat Cuala I’ll ate my hand! We haven’t a hope!’ I said ‘thanks for the vote of confidence!’ and she said ‘why, do you play?’

“I said ‘a small bit, yeah!’ She said ‘well their forwards are too fast, ye haven’t a hope!’ You’d be hearing that all the time. You just pass it off. We didn’t concede a goal in the county final or the last two games in Leinster so we’re not a bad team either.

“We can’t be getting this far and be a bad team. Part of the reason for that is the forwards are helping out the backs, it’s a team effort, same as we (defenders) help them.

“Cuala are the favourites. They’ve got serious players on their teams so it’s easier thinking for us. Rather than worrying about losing we can think about trying to perform and hope we can do that well and finally get over the line.”

The club missed out on a sixth consecutive Wexford title last year but the break did them the world of good, says Roche. After losing four Leinster finals, there was bound to be scars. “If we’d won the Wexford championship last year I don’t think we’d be back here this year.”

Criticism is something Roche is used to going back before their first Leinster final defeat to O’Loughlin Gaels in 2010.

“A few years ago, lads used to class us as soft and small, a fast-ball team that when it gets to winter we don’t want to know about it but I think our team is experienced enough now.

“There are plenty of lads that can get hit and keep going back again. It’s changed a lot. That criticism was before we ever got to a Leinster final and to get there at all shows a lot of courage.”