Ballinlough fancied to bounce back

One of the most surprising aspects - if not THE most surprising aspect - of tomorrow's IFC final is that Longwood and Ballinlough are the two main protagonists.  

That's not being disrespectful to either camp; it's just a recognition that at the start of the campaign they would not have been considered by many observers of the local game to be among the front-runners for the Mattie McDonnell Cup.
Yet here they are, about to engage in battle at Pairc Tailteann - and when all is considered Ballinlough may have enough to see them through - just. 
What a journey this has turned out to be for both clubs. What a roller-coaster ride through a huge range of emotions. 
As well as enjoying some luck, both teams have displayed the kind of qualities needed to be still in the hunt for honours at this time of the time - skill, organisation, composure, bouncebackability, tenacity. 
That willingness to keep believing; to keep doing the simple things well, certainly kept Ballinough in the frame against Oldcastle.
With eight minutes to go Oldcastle led by three and were in control. Ballinlough kept chipping over the points until they hauled themselves level. If that wasn't enough Peadar Byrne lofted over the winning score from a last-gasp free. Dramatic hardly describes it all.  
Longwood also looked like they were heading for elimination in their remarkable quarter-final joust with Trim. With normal time almost up in that rousing contest at Summerhill, Longwood trailed by three points. 
They launched a last-gasp attack and conjured up a goal scored by Ryan Moore. In extra-time David Flynn's side pushed on to win, 4-17 to 
2-15.
For spells in the semi-final Longwood struggled badly against Ballinabrackey yet they continued playing their football. It paid off too with Moore doing the business again with an injury time point that won the game.  
Their manager David Flynn and his management team of Enda Dixon and Michael McGuigan have clearly infused the team with a self-belief that could earn the club's first IFC crown since 1942. There's a togetherness, a belief now among the troops they can grapple successfully with just about anything that comes their way. 
The team is led by Joey Stenson who is an inspirational captain in the way he powers forward from his centre-half-back position. Anthony Healy, Damien Healy, Eoin Lynch, Mickey Burke and the in-form Ryan Moore are others who have helped sustain 
Longwood this year yet 
theirs is very much a team effort. 
Ballinlough are also a team who know about overcoming adversity as that victory over Oldcastle demonstrated. Byrne is a major influence for them with his experience and talent to eke out scores. Against Oldcastle the former Meath player didn't have the best of games yet his ability to translate frees - sometimes from very awkward angles - into scores proved to be a match-saving quality. 
This is Brian Donohoe's second year in charge of the 'Lough. In his own playing days Donohoe helped Cavan to a Ulster SFC title in the 1990s. 
He is said to be very thorough when it comes to preparations for games. He, and his selectors Fergal McCabe, Ken Rothwell and Graham Matthews, have created the kind of environment in which 
players can develop and prosper. 
Ballinlough last won the IFC in 2014, but their stay at the top table was brief. They fell back back to the intermediate ranks just two years ago. Last year they made it to the quarter-finals where they were knocked out by Nobber, on the way they defeated Longwood (1-9 to 0-10) - is that a sign?  
They didn't make the best of starts to this year's campaign losing to Donaghmore/Ashbourne but they haven't lost a game since; time and again reviving their fortunes when all seemed lost. Significantly, three of their games were won by a point.
They will look to Byrne to convert any frees on Sunday and if he is on his game his influence from open play could be immense also.
This Ballinlough team is more or less the same team that played at senior level. They are not short of strong, talented performers such as Johnny Reilly, Mark McCullen, Michael Geraghty, Podge Muldoon, Sean Geraghty and Simon Deevy who was immense for them in the win over St Michael's. 
Ronan McGuinness was sent off against Oldcastle and at the time of writing it wasn't clear if any appeal against that red card was successful or not.
Ballinlough know how to win IFC titles. They have been there, done that and they can do it all again.