Club’s promotion of youth policy is paying dividends - McHugh

BALLYFIN joint-manager John Joe McHugh was full of pride when he spoke after his side’s impressive win in Saturday evening’s Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship final at Laois Hire O’Moore Park.

McHugh praised the impact of the club’s emerging talent and the energy they’ve brought to the panel, including players Shane Connolly and Ronan Carroll who scored two of Ballyfin’s first half goals.

“I think they've given us massive energy, and there are two or three other young lads there who didn't even get a run, and we'd be expecting them to make an impact next year or the year after. About five or six minors came up and, for a small club like ours, that's massive energy.

“They probably set the tone earlier in the year because we were down lads in the league. I thought they developed massively in the league, and then they brought that into the championship,” McHugh said.

Ballyfin’s campaign began strongly with two wins in the group stage before a defeat to Rathdowney/Errill in their final group match. McHugh reflected on the progression his side made through the year and how that setback ultimately sharpened their focus.

“At the start of the championship, we probably did okay against Clonaslee; we were compact, aggressive and hurled okay. Ballacolla, the scoreline kind of flattered us and probably didn't help us heading into Rathdowney and we weren't the best over in Raheen against them. But Rathdowney were very good that night, and since then I think we've stepped it on.

“We didn’t circle the wagons as such after that match, but had a quick chat about it and said if we're going to make a drive. We're going to have to get stuck in now. Today, I'd say both teams played against the wind better than they did with the wind,” McHugh added.

Saturday’s win marks Ballyfin’s return to senior ranks for the first time since 2012, having previously competed at that level as Ballyfin Gaels. McHugh said the victory would lift the entire club, highlighting the promising juvenile structures and the valuable experience within the squad.

“It'll give the club a massive boost. We've got a few young lads coming next year. Even the U/15s this year, they were in the ‘A’ and they got to the ‘A’ Shield final and won it against Borris/Kilcotton. There are a few lads coming there.

“The U/13s were actually playing a match the other night before we were training; they’re in a ‘B’ Shield final, young lads are coming. There was a big crowd here, actually, a great crowd from Ballyfin. That’ll give them a boost.

“The lads have good experience. There was talk of Rathdowney having experience, but our lads have massive experience in these Premier Intermediate finals or whatever you want to call them. We’ve been in the final two out of the last four years. Bar two or three of the young lads, everyone else has played in O’Moore Park, either playing football or hurling. We had no worries leading into the game that we were going to be nervous or anything. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why we went against the wind. We said we’d knuckle down and see if we can get to half-time and see where we are. We didn’t expect to be up by so much, but we’ll take that on any final day,” he said.

Having hurled for Ballyfin for many years alongside fellow joint-manager Dermot McGill, McHugh was asked how managing the team compared to lining out as a player.

He admitted the feeling was different, but the sense of pride was just as strong, particularly given that everyone involved is from Ballyfin.

“It felt a bit different this week; I actually said it to Dermot. Usually, I’d be a little bit giddy at the start of a county final week and then try to get rid of the nerves before the final. I didn’t feel any nerves this week. We were happy enough that the work was done, or else you don’t feel nerves as management, we’d be fresh enough to it ourselves.

“It feels a good bit different, but the same satisfaction really when you see the boys perform like that in a final. You feel proud because we’re all Ballyfin club men; everyone involved is from Ballyfin. It was a massive evening, a brilliant evening,” McHugh ended.