COLLECTIVE EFFORT
Murphy hails team’s strong unity
IT has been a wild road since Baltinglass were fighting for their very Senior championship lives in 2019. After a disappointing group stage, they were dragged into a relegation dogfight that ultimately saw Hollywood drop into the intermediate championship.
While they survived and maintained their status in the top tier, it did not make last year any less underwhelming for a club that, three years earlier, had won the championship outright. Fast forward 12 months and, in the culmination of one of the most bizarre campaigns in recent history, Baltinglass have gone from crapping for their lives in 2019, to contesting their first county final in three years this Sunday.
‘We knew we had a lot of good young players coming up and we have a lot of good older players, as well, so we didn’t really talk about last year,’ insisted captain Kevin Murphy. ‘We weren’t thinking too far down the road or thinking about last year; (we were) just focusing on each week as it came and kind of hoping that we could build mo
mentum. That is how it has turned out, thankfully.’
That is indeed how it has turned out for Brian Heaslip’s men.
Their progress materialised in a stunning victory over 2019’s beaten finalists Arklow Geraldines-Ballymoney in the semi-finals. A thrilling, back-and-forth contest played at a chaotic tempo ended in Baltinglass’ favour after Adam McHugh – one of the many young
players who have added energy and vibrance to the panel – scored a late, late goal to win the day.
‘Arklow are a very good team. They were in the final last year, so we knew that they were up there as one of the top teams. So, when we beat them, of course it gave everyone a good lift. We played very well in the game, especially at the start of the game.’
‘The whole team, the way we are playing, it is one to 15, a collective effort. A few of the younger players are playing with confidence this year, as well.’
Their win over Arklow was a statement win for the club from the west over an Arklow team that, following the elimination of St. Patrick’s in the quarter-finals, were tipped to better their campaign from last year by winning the whole thing. Instead, it is Baltinglass who will take their wellearned place opposite Tinahely this Sunday. Tinahely have made headlines this year with a couple of big wins in the championship, including against Pat’s and, most recently, Avondale in the semis.
Tinahely will make for a stern test in the final, and will pose ample threat to Baltinglass in the form of a potent forward line featuring Alan Dillon, Matthe Ging, Eoin Darcy, and Paddy O’Rourke, all of which Murphy is well aware.
‘(We are expecting) a really tough game.
‘Any team you are playing in a county final; every team, every players is going to do what they can to win it, so I am sure it is going to be a very close game and a battle, really.’