“It’s a nice way to prepare for Christmas!” - Ryan

Ballygunner manager Jason Ryan is adamant that no one is getting carried away with thoughts of lifting the Tommy Moore Cup aloft just yet as his side booked their place in the decider with a 0-19 to 0-10 victory against Leinster champions St. Martin’s.

Ryan was pleased with how his side fought from behind to assert themselves and book their place in the All-Ireland Final.

“It was an unbelievable battle”, said Ryan. “We were lucky to start the second half so strongly and close the gap. We managed to create a little bit of momentum and really use the ball better in the second half. There was a lot of discussion at the break but we were very calm and collected and away we went.” 

When asked what the difference in the end was, Ryan pointed to how small details began to click in their favour when they weren’t perhaps going to plan early on. He says composure was a key element throughout as his side used their experience to their advantage and ultimately established control.

“Our execution just improved dramatically. Our ability to deal with their puckouts wasn’t particularly good in the first half. Our puckouts weren’t particularly good in the first half. We were going into contact and losing a lot of ball. I was happy that they improved in the second half. Some of the moments and movements in the second half resulted in some really nice combination play and there was definitely some really good structured defence.” 

Having lost four of their five previous matches at this juncture, the weight of history would no doubt have been felt by Ballygunner going into the game, but Ryan says their mindset is arguably their most impressive asset.

“There’s a lot of belief in this group. There’s a huge amount of work being done by Shane O’Sullivan with the guys and they’re really working on their mindset. Teams at this stage of the competition are very fit, they’re tackling very well, they’re well set up and their skillset is very good. The weather conditions mean the ball is moving a little bit slower so your structure and your shape is more important at this stage than any other stage in the year. 

"It’s so important to have your mindset right and have it very clear that you understand your role. You will hit a wall and things mightn’t be going according to plan but next ball, next play - you have to believe you’ll have that chance to fix things.” 

Thoughts will immediately spring to January, but Ryan and his camp won’t get carried away. They simply view the prospect of preparing for an All-Ireland Final this Christmas as a wonderful problem to have.

“Everything was just about today”, he reinstated. “I wasn’t even aware of who’d won the other semi-final. It’s just a matter of figuring out where we go next. The players have been here before. We’ll have some conversations over the course of the evening and we’ll make a plan as to what happens next, but it’s a nice way to prepare for Christmas.”