It was Winston Churchill in the darker days of World War II that said "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." Those words or a similar positive psychology is what will be instilled in the minds of the young men from Ballintubber as they face into the replay of the Mayo Senior Championship Quarter Final, Ballintubber V Ballaghadereen on Sunday next in McHale Park, Castlebar at 3.30. Apart from those closely involved with Ballintubber, many were surprised at the high standard of their performance just over two weeks ago. In many peoples estimation, it was the highlight of the Senior Club Championship thus far. It proved to be the most exciting game of the quarterfinal weekend with quality football played. In a "skill laden" match Ballintubber stretched into a 6-point lead early on before the introduction of Aussie Rules Star Pearse Hanley who was sprung from the bench after just 15 minutes. Ballaghadereen clawed their way back into the game and remained in touch, but it was Ballintubber who lead all the way into injury time. In a breathtaking, frantic few minutes, Ballaghadereen grabbed a fortunate late goal deep into injury time and lead by a point for the first time in the game. Things were looking bleak for the Abbeysiders but they kept their composure and managed to level the game with a fine free from Alan Dillon. Many players shone for both teams. Barry Regan in particular had a personal tally of 8 points (0-6fs) and Andy Moran stole the headlines with the crucial late goal. For Ballintubber the ever honest and industrious Alan Dillon played a leading role, as did the pacey inside forward Damien McGing, scoring from every angle. Since the replay, time has been used by both teams to rest, take stock and try to find a chink in the other teams armour. Both teams are tremendously skilled and that showed in the original fixture. This time round, Ballintubber will be looking to further silence the critics with another good performance. However the pundits will reckon that the pendulum now swings strongly in Ballaghadereen favour. It is fair to say Ballintubber have indeed matured as a team since their Intermediate Championship win in 2007. The team is a blend of three very good underage sides that performed well over the past decade. They have benefited enormously from the training regime of Tony Duffy, James Horan and Thomas Prendergast and are showing great committement and dedication this season. Ballaghadereen will be anxious to atone for any perceived lack of effort in the first encounter and with the return of the Kilcullen brothers, David and James and the presence of Aussie Rules Star, Pierce Hanley and County star, Andy Moran they pose a formidable challenge for a young maturing Ballintubber team. Also Ballaghadereen will know that this season they must make a serious impression on the Senior Championship having promised so much in previous seasons. Sure to be at full strength, Ballaghadereen will be very strong favourites but the bookies are unlikely to repeat the generous odds of 9/2 (available in the 1st match) for a Ballintubber victory on Sunday next. It is also interesting how the odds on Ballintubber for the Senior Championship outright have come in from 60/1 to 10/1 in the space of a month. Does it mean that Ballintubber are real championship contenders in 2008? Does it mean that Ballintubber have finally arrived on the scene as a serious senior team able to challenge the established elite within the county? Can the Abbeyside spring another surprise to shock the pundits? The answers to those questions should be known at 5pm on Sunday evening next. Whatever happens we are in for a treat next Sunday in what promises to be another intriguing match. Tweet

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