Few teenagers have lit up the Ulster football scene in recent years more than Ballybay starlet Paul Finlay. On the cusp of a glittering career at senior level, he's looking forward to enjoying a long stint at the top. Kevin Carney reports After three years going full pelter with the county minors, it's understandable that Paul Finlay should be tempted at taking a sabbatical from the game he loves. One of the most prodigious young football talents in Ulster right now, the Ballybay starlet has already amassed quite a lot of mileage from his midfield 'cum attacking berths with club, county and college football teams. His enthusiasm and innate desire to fine hone his exquisite range of skills is such that a decision to take a break from togging out is a sore one and one which isn't easily arrived at. In his case though, Paul isn't short of some sound advice. His father Kieran, after all, played just a bit some time ago! Paul is a veritable chip of the old block. Skilful, an intelligent reader of the game and blessed with the sort of vision that can only be inherited, the Athlone Institute of Further Studies student is reckoned to have a big future ahead of him. He's aware though that as with the long-distance runner, he'll have to pace himself while making the hoped-for frequent visits to the winners' enclosure. Going hell for leather from February through to November would be heavy going for any professional sportsperson, let alone an amateur: "I decided after we won the intermediate championship to take a break from football until after Christmas. Sometimes football can be just as tiring mentally as physically. "I cut back on my involvement with the club's minor and under 21 teams in 2001 and I only joined the county under under 21s when the championship actually started, basically because I found my enthusiasm for the game was beginning to dwindle towards the beginning of autumn. "It's not easy to opt out of some of the training and matches but you have to be careful that you don't get burned out too quickly. It's easy to get stale too. Hopefully, I've a lot more time to play a lot more football in the years ahead." Certainly that would be the hope of all football lovers - even those in Cavan who witnessed Finlay's tour de force in last summer's Ulster MFC when the loping stride and silken skills of the Ballybay teenager was instrumental in downing the Breffni Blues in a fascinating semi-final at Clones. Those who have overseen the rise and rise of young Finlay from his very early underage days will tell you that the outgoing county minor midfielder has had even better days that the one alluded to in Clones. That's some going, especially when you consider that the combined talents of Irish internationals such as Mark McKeever, Paddy Brady and Nicholas Walsh couldn't help Cavan smother the probing, incisive football as displayed by Paul in the meeting of Ulster's old firm. Three years as a county minor helped put Finlay's football nous in the shop window across the province of Ulster. It would be a shame if Ballybay and Monaghan weren't to afford him the chance to showcase his almost unrivalled talent on a national stage at some time in the future. For now, Paul has experienced enough success on the domestic front to sate his appetite for a resident's berth in the winners' enclosure. Consecutive provincial championship defeats though to Fermanagh, Tyrone and Tyrone again (in the 2001 minor provincial final) have served to remind him that Gaelic football is, above all, a team game. All the individual talent in the world cannot guarantee a sideboard full of medals. Not that Finlay is a gold digger. Fact is, he recently turned down an invitation to ply his skills down under in the sphere of Australian Rules Football a la Nicholas Walsh. "The invitation came via a Dublin-based company. I thought about it for a while and realised that it was a big step to make regardless of the potential rewards. But eventually I decided it wasn't what I wanted to do at that point in time." A business studies student way out west, Paul is happy with the progress he has made to date on both the sporting and academic fronts. And why wouldn't he? A brand new intermediate championship medal isn't to be sneezed at. However it in itself is merely seen though by his most fervent admirers as just the first of many honours likely to waft his way in the coming years. Although acting out the part of the fulcrum of the county minor team from his midfield berth seems to bring out the best in him - and is the position most preferred by him - his ability to dovetail into an orthodox attacking role for the county under 21 and Athlone IT - alongside Fermanagh's Rory Gallagher - is redolent of his footballing pedigree. After all, up until 2000, his father boasted a long-time provincial championship final scoring record. Either way, in any would-be transfer market within the realm of the GAA, the athletic Finlay would be one hot bit of property - the Tadgh Kennelly of Aussie Rules, so to speak. Indeed, Ballybay's galloping county minor would be a real nugget for whatever team he chose to play for if Gaelic football meandered its way into the professional ranks. And, significantly, Paul himself says he would love to play for football for a living. But while the nation's most popular field game continues to remain an amateur sport, our man Finlay will be rooted very much in Ballybay and Monaghan football circles, fans can rest assured. However as the leading light on the Ballybay vocational side which won the county title and a central figure on the county vocationals team which scooped the All-Ireland title, it is obvious that winning is everything for the strapping 18-year old. The adage that it's the competing that counts and not the winning clearly doesn't wash with the aspiring Finlay. He's a winner, nothing more, nothing less and last summer's intermediate championship success topped off for him what was a splendid year. "There was a great buzz about the town all summer and then when we went on and won the championship, the experience of bringing back the cup to Ballybay was unbelievable.our championship win gave the whole town a great lift. Hopefully we can continue to give the people something to cheer about in the coming year." So what's the chances of Ballybay continuing their winning streak? "I think this team will go on and win more titles but I couldn't tell you when it will happen because I don't think there were many of us who really believed that we were capable of winning the intermediate title just one year after winning the junior. "Most people at the club would have been happy to see us find our feet at intermediate level for a couple of years before making an impact so this current team is a wee bit ahead of schedule as things stand. "I'm personally confident that we can hold our own at senior level in the coming year although I'd rule out any silverware in 2002. We'll be looking to have a good run in the championship next season and two or three years down the line, who knows." Now where's the nearest bookie? Tweet

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