By Kevin McStay Heading towards Croke Park, especially on the day of an All Ireland final, can be an anxious journey for a man from the west. If you happen to follow the fortunes of all matters Green and Red, then prepare yourself for a day when all the emotions are experienced before defeat follows. At least that is the general sense most of the public has of our fortunes but the truth could well be a myth was allowed to grow alongside the actual facts. You will recall a period when the province of Connaught could not buy a win at any grade of football. The club finals offered no solace either but if a province were truly in the doldrums, it would hardly bother to contest the championships at all. So myth it was then. Statistics of course can be misleading and naturally they are often used to advance a point but regardless of the category chosen, the numbers do stack up - why the myth was allowed blossom is probably because of the results in many of those finals. But your overall health cannot be judged on just one game. For instance did you know that western teams contested 13 out of the last 20 club finals; better still, that the province was involved in seven out of the last 10 and decided to win four of them. In a broader sense, five Mayo clubs (Garrymore, Castlebar, Knockmore, Ballina and Crossmolina) have turned up on the last day (some of them twice!) thus giving the county a spread of clubs appearing in the final that is surpassed only by Dublin and Kerry on six teams each. And sure who can count a university team (UCD) and a divisional team (East Kerry)! Contrast the Mayo numbers and indeed the Galway numbers (four different clubs) with counties such as Tyrone, Cavan, Donegal and Meath. All strongholds but yet to make a major impact. This years hurling final held plenty of interest for this observer as my first cousin minds the nets for Athenry. Michael Crimmins was in search of his fourth All Ireland medal with his native Athenry and while his best efforts failed on the day both himself and his club can look back on a golden period when everything seemed possible. They soldiered long and hard and one had the feeling this was a bridge too far - old and tired legs gave in to the passage of time. The win by James Stephens was an omen we just could not miss - a team clad in the county colours of Mayo, the club colours of Ballina Stephenites, had carried the day - so winning with this particular mix is not banned in Croke Park after all! Still, it seems the hurling teams using the pattern found no great problem - it was now time for the underdogs to make their mark. A crowd of close on 50,000 was expected but those numbers failed to muster on a beautiful spring day. And while victory may be a few years late in arriving, what is rare is wonderful. Ballina entered as the rank outsiders but the feeling was this tag would not matter a great deal when the ball was thrown in. If the game could be kept alive until the final quarter when the sheer athleticism of the Ballina team might surface, then there would always be a chance victory might be carved out. In fact, the burden of favouritism proved too much for Portlaoise and they never got to grips with the requirement. The Laois standard bearers never got going - any team that is penalised twice for delaying at free kicks is a team that is not focussed for the job at hand. Key players failed to get into their stride and chances that were gobbled up in the earlier rounds went a begging in this final. Indeed if Mayo teams were comfortable at winning these games, Ballina might well have won pulling up. They would first have to get over the hoodoo of teams failing and in doing so they have opened all sorts of possibilities for the teams that will surely follow. The truth remains that the Mayo championship is one of the strongest in the country and we may well see others make the jump in years to come. The statistics mentioned above indicate this is likely. Both teams had to put the nastiness of their respective semi-finals behind them - they both did this and we got an adventurous, attacking brand of football from the start. Some perspective then. In the relatively short period of time since their defeat to Crossmaglen, Ballina had to reinvent and find some new stars to replace the McHales and Heffernans of the 1999 trip; they had to break the Crossmolina dominance within and outside the county and somehow get themselves into a position where they could right a wrong. The feeling locally was Ballina would go close - their defence had been stingy in the earlier games (look back at the scores conceded in the previous rounds), and any club with a midfield of David Brady and Ronan McGarrity will not be dominated for an hour. Portlaoise had everything in their favour - the tougher route, greater experience and more county players. As mentioned, few fancied a Mayo win and the general opinion was Ballina would need to play out of their skins in a low scoring game to have a chance of winning it by a point. It was a pretty accurate summation - they did play brilliantly, won by a point but not in a low scoring match. Was there ever a time during the game when it looked bad for the Green and Red? Be sure of it - Ballina opened with a litany of typical Mayo wides and topped if off with a missed free in front of goals. Indeed, when Liam Brady opened the account with a minor, a goal chance was screaming. Young Hughes squared a simple soccer pass at such a steep angle the ball went behind the in rushing number 14 and a tap in was turned down. In the second half Ruane kicked a shocker and the highly impressive Patrick McHale, having skilfully come in along the end line to forge a great goal chance by himself, shot weakly. Throw in the two Portlaoise goal chances (Martin Wynne made a fantastic intercept and Aidan Tighe cleared another from the goal line) and you see why finals are full of mishaps, mind games and mayhem. But the importance of keeping at it, waiting for the recognisable moment - Casey and his solo point, Ruane and his fisted effort, Wynne's intercept.. these are the small matters upon which victory is based. And Portlaoise did ask two serious questions as they attempted to break the resolve of their opponents. Both goals were expertly taken, even if the television pictures proved the penalty was the incorrect decision - the attacker was fouled outside the large rectangle. Still, Ballina dug deep and answered quickly with points of their own and then the goal, beautifully worked and superbly executed by young Stephen Hughes put them in the driving seat for this historic win. So it came to pass. The club championships, in hurling and football, remain the second biggest day in the GAA calendar and even if the crowd was a little disappoinnting, the fare was top class. Four teams out to win for the parish, the honour and pride it might bring to towns that need a lift to keep the codes in the minds of the youth. Ballina Stephenites and James Stephens share a history and tradition of excellence stretching back over many years. The hurling giants from Kilkenny were winning their third title while the Mayo aristocrats took their first. We can expect to hear from both clubs well into the present century-commitment to the skills and style of play that we all aspire to have been the keystone for both of these teams and these latest victories will merely cement that pride in the way the game ought to be played. So, the trip home along the N4 is, for a pleasant change, one of joy, happiness and relief for a Mayo man - at long last the Green and Red walked out of HQ with a smile on our faces. Can September be far behind? Tweet

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