Clara within touching distance of return to top flight but fully aware of threat from improving Ballinagar

THERE will be a fascinating contrast of opposites in Sunday's Senior “B” Football Championship final where favourites Clara take on a fast improving Ballinagar side.

One of the most traditional football clubs in Offaly, Clara have been perennial contenders for the Senior Football Championship for most of the years since winning their first title in 1960. They have won six titles since then, two apiece in the 1960s, '90s and 2000s, winning their last title in 2009.

They were a top four team for most of the 1990s through to the early 2010s but have fallen on very hard times in the past decade, suffering two relegations from the Senior Football Championship. They won the senior “B” in 2021 but didn't survive long in the top flight, quickly taking a step back.

Failing to win this championship last year was a huge blow to them as they lost out to Cappincur in the semi-final and Clara's pride has taken a serious battering in the past few years.

A passionate football club that also possesses a strong hurling ethos, Clara see themselves as not only senior but also potential champions. This has, however, been far from their recent reality and Clara have endured two relegations entirely on merit. It has been a very transitional period for them and there have been times when Clara have appeared to take one step forward only to follow with two backwards.

Yet they have kept plugging away, working very hard to turn the tide. They have produced some excellent young footballers in the past few years and Clara have been the favourites for this title since the start of the campaign.

Ballinagar has not loomed on Clara's radar for most of their existence but they have been very conscious of them throughout this year and the threat they pose to their ambitions.

Ballinagar have spent the vast majority of their existence in junior ranks but have made a meteoric, sensational rise up the ranks in the past few years. They won the Junior Football Championship in 2022, intermediate in 2024 and now find themselves one step away from going to the top flight for the first time since the 1890s when the GAA was on its knees and most clubs had fallen by the wayside.

While they won a Junior Football Championship in 1988 and lost to a Vinny Claffey inspired Doon in the intermediate final a year later, this has been Ballinagar's best era by a country mile. We knew something extraordinary was happening there when Ballinagar players made up the overwhelming majority of the Killeigh parish underage side that won the Minor Football Championship title in 2019 and several of this outstanding generation have gone on to fulfil their potential at adult level.

Ballinagar now have a great chance of going senior, even if it isn't this year and if they do achieve that, it will be one of the great, most heart-warming stories of the modern Offaly GAA world. It is a great example to every other club going through dark days of how the stars can brighten and success can come if you keep working and doing the right thing – even when there is very little light sneaking through at the end of the tunnel.

It is a really emotional journey for all in the club, especially the older people who played on well by the sell-by date and worked so hard in a variety of capacities when the only tangible reward was keeping the club alive. Back in 2019, Ballinagar were willing to amalgamate with Raheen in a bid to keep those young players playing together. On a night of high drama, they approved an amalgamation but Raheen fell just five votes short of the majority required, despite the backing of most of their officers and committee.

It was an outcome that sickened Ballinagar but it also proved to be a blessing in disguise as they have embarked on a golden era, providing some magical, never to be forgotten days for their small village and rural community – also winning the Leinster Club Junior Football Championship last year.

The two clubs will approach Sunday's final from different places, notwithstanding the simple thing that it is a game of football that both want to win.

In Clara, there is a desperate need to win, to get back up to senior and try and become a force there once again.

In Ballinagar, there is a touch of a fairytale about it all, a dream that might fall apart at any stage. It hasn't so far and they have staged serious improvement each year since taking that 2022 junior – Ballinagar had been at absolutely nothing just a couple of years before the 2019 minors began to emerge and utterly transformed the club.

Clara have been the best team in a very competitive championship to date, qualifying for the semi-finals easily with five wins from their opening five games. They did the business very effectively and impressively, though a loss to Ballinagar in their final game did raise some questions.

At the same time, it shouldn't be analysed too much and has no bearing on this final. Ballinagar had endured a tough campaign and had to win to be sure of qualification, whereas the result did not matter to Clara. The GAA is littered with examples of the club that has to win beating the one that doesn't and this manifested itself here once again.

Ballinagar entered that game not far off a crisis. Their potential was obvious to all observers but they had played some calamitous football, coughing up ten point leads in a draw with Tubber and a devastating late defeat to Daingean. Both these games should have been won while they also had a chance to win when drawing with their neighbours Cappincur in the first game.

It meant that Ballinagar's only wins ahead of that Clara game were ones over the two teams in the relegation play off, Ballycumber and Gracefield. We also knew that this was not a real representation of Ballinagar's ability, that they could win the title if they could sneak out of the group.

Their greater hunger showed in the second half against Clara, though as things worked out, Daingean's win over Tubber the same day would have put them through anyway. In the midst of all their struggles, the impression that Ballinagar were the one team in the championship who could beat Clara was strong and has been proven both in their earlier win and in their qualification for the final.

They are fortunate to be in the final as they really should have been beaten by Daingean in an extraordinary semi-final last Saturday. Daingean were almost in the final at the end of injury time in normal time but three last gasp points gave Ballinagar extra time. Daingean again had one foot in the final when they led by 1-12 to 0-11 coming up to half time of extra time with the wind in their face.

In a sensational climax, Ballinagar scored five points before the interval to lead by one and pulled away in the second period by 1-22 to 1-12 for a win that just defies explanation and logical examination.

By contrast, Clara's 2-11 to 2-7 semi-final win over Cappincur was almost boring. As expected, Cappincur pushed hard, battled with typical spirit and asked searching questions. As expected, Clara always looked like they would be able to get the win and were never in real danger during a very professional second half display.

There are doubts about both sides. Clara have two elder statesmen in Graham Guilfoyle and Thomas Deehan playing leading roles. Deehan was a star when they last won the Dowling Cup in 2009, Guilfoyle was emerging out of underage ranks then, going on to play some very good football for Offaly seniors.

Clara are tough and fiercely determined. They play with an edge but still retain the capacity to lose games that they are expected to win.

Ballinagar are a work in progress, capable of blowing hot and cold almost in the blink of an eye. It is very possible that it is not their time yet and they may have to wait a year but Ballinagar have a golden opportunity now and are well capable of grasping it – Clara will continue to produce players on a yearly basis, that is more challenging for Ballinagar and their golden era will grind to a halt at some stage.

Clara have a stronger bench with players like Ed Cullen and Jack Reynolds able to come in and make a big difference. That is important at this time of year and they have some players performing really well with Marcas Dalton and Adam Kelly leading by example from the centre of defence and attack and Cormac Delaney and Thomas Deehan capable of inspirational scores up front. In-form defender Conor Doyle was badly shook after a late hit in their semi-final win over Cappincur and was very dazed as he left the field a few minutes after the final whistle but is expected to be okay for the final.

Ballinagar may have the better attack. They certainly have more star quality there at the moment with Robbie Gallagher playing arguably the best football of anyone in this grade and Morgan Tynan a potential match winner if he hits form and is in the right mood. A flying Conor Bracken is also going very well for them and Ballinagar possess a terrific work ethic.

They have really transformed over the past two years and certainly look to be a senior team in the making.

Clara's form has been better and they are favourites on merit. You would rate Ballinagar's victory prospects at somewhere between 40-45% and the key for them is to be in contention with ten minutes to go. Clara could open a gap, especially if they get an edge in midfield, but if Ballinagar are alive inside the closing minutes, the possibility of a surprise win will loom large.

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Ballinagar will have the mentality to win that type of game, though Clara are also tough enough to survive this test. It will make for compelling viewing and Clara have looked champions in waiting almost the whole year. They have to go and do it now and withstand a huge test from a team who have a lot of the ingredients to take them out and have the quality in the right places to really hurt them.

Verdict – Clara.