Faulkner feels Ballerin are peaking at the business end

By Michael McMullan

BALLERIN camogs aim to go one better than 2022 when they take on St John’s in this weekend’s Bridie McMenamin Shield final.

Back then, they lost the final to Cushendall and it has been the itch they’ve been scratching since.

After winning the Derry junior title this year, full forward Sinéad Faulkner feels they are coming to the boil at the right time.

“We had a good enough start in the league and then we had a couple of really bad results because of girls not being available,” Faulkner said.

They were comfortably beaten by a Loup team they were later drawn against in the championship semi-final.

After starting well, Ballerin had to absorb a Loup comeback in the semi-final before pulling clear and subsequently controlling their final against Magherafelt.

“Since that game against Loup in the semi-final, we have had all the girls back from injury and a full panel,” she added.

“The momentum has just built and I think we’ve just peaked at the right time. It was definitely a big turning point for us; a catalyst that got us going.”

Since then, the Derry champions have come through against both Culloville and Kilclief in Ulster. In their semi-final battle against Kilclief, they needed to dig deep before coming through to book a spot against the Johnnies this weekend.

“Against Culloville, it was a really physical, hard-hitting game that we really needed,” added Faulkner. “Kilclief was hard-hitting as well and the momentum has been building in every game.”

It’s something they struggled with in mid-season with a fractured league campaign but they’ve enjoyed a positive string of results in the championship.

“The league was very bitty for us,” Faulkner said, with some games against some clubs’ second teams getting pulled.

“We had huge gaps and not an awful lot of game time. We fitted in a few friendlies but they are not the same as competitive games.

“There was one week where the storm hit, but having games coming ahead of us has just been brilliant.

ONE FINAL STEP…Ballerin take on St John’s this weekend. Photo: Ulster Camogie

“It has been that focus that we’ve needed. Every Tuesday night, we know we have two sessions and then a game. This stage of the season has been a bit more structured for us, which has definitely helped.”

Having played for club, county and on college teams, Faulkner – née Cassidy – has seen the inside of many dressing rooms.

After winning the county final, she took a look around and feels it’s the best Ballerin team she has ever played on.

“There are young girls that have come in that have boosted the panel,” she said. “For the first time in as long as I can remember, we have competition for places.

“The managers are always saying nobody’s position is safe. That competition in training means everybody is pushing themselves.

“Eabha (Mullan) and Caoimhe (Higgins) are experienced with the county but are also both still very young,” Faulkner said of the group.

“We have a couple of 16-year-olds, Emily Mullan and Ava McKillop, that came in and are pushing everyone on.”

Faulkner also credits the management team of Gerard McAuley, Aidan McErlain, Melinda Robinson and Katrina MacCombe.

“The training has been great, we feel we hit it at the right time and have been trained well,” Faulkner said.

“We had a couple of tough years up in intermediate where the results weren’t going our way,” she added of the seasons after losing to Cushendall in 2022.

“When you’re not winning and things aren’t going your way, there’s the potential for the heads to go down. This is the one that got away and the one that we so badly want.”