Bell is expecting a ding-dong battle in decider

BALLINDERRY’S season is all about the now for manager Jarlath Bell as they prepare for Sunday’s Intermediate showdown with Faughanvale at Cetlic Park.

The Shamrocks were relegated from the senior ranks last year after consistently being at the cutting edge of the Derry scene.

Bell, who was Player of the Match after curbing Joe Kavanagh in their All-Ireland win over Nemo Rangers, doesn’t even give last year a second thought.

The players would know it corner needed turned. There was no need to “verbalise” it.

After coming into the job this year, former Tyrone defender Davy Harte joined as coach. Ballinderry’s 2024 was about small gains. And to keep backing them up.

“You couldn’t get a better guy to be honest,” he said of Harte’s input.

“He was a very cool, calm player on the pitch and he’s brought that to the group, a calming influence and the boys all think the world of him.”

Ballinderry played in Division One of the leagues and “made peace” with their Intermediate Championship status. But there were no targets beyond the next game.

“Myself and Davy, we come from the defenders’ society so defence was something that we were focusing on from day one,” Bell said.

“We wanted to really go back to basics. We just wanted to try and get a good start in the league which we did and build on it.

“We’re far from the finished article. We’ve still got a lot of work and improving to do but it’s small steps and small gains and that’s still the mentality we’re adopting.”

The Shamrocks topped their group and after wins over Glenullin and Banagher have made it to Sunday’s decider.

Their semi-final with Banagher was a classic and Bell expected nothing else after needing late scores to see them off in the group stages.

Having no experience of the intermediate ranks, he has been impressed by the standard across the board, also hailing the calibre of those managing the teams they have faced.

On their own performances in the knock-out stages, Bell feels there is a disappointment at some of the scores they left behind.

“We needed the goals and they came at the right time for us,” he said of their semi-final win. “They got us over the line so we’re just thankful to get through.”

It has been a competitive intermediate race. A case could’ve been made for any of the quarter-finalists to be standing with the cup. Bell agrees. He doesn’t deal in favourites’ tags. That’s up to others.

“My thoughts on it all are very, very simple,” he said.

“For me, the only thing that’s changed in that regard is the fact that six have dropped off and two remain.

“It’s fair game for me. We’ve been in enough games over the years where we were probably expected to win and didn’t so I don’t buy into all that kind of talk before the final.”

Bell looks at Faughanvale running Lavey close for the league and Lavey asking Glen plenty of questions.

“We’re under no illusion of the task ahead of us,” Bell summed up.

“These boys aren’t coming across the road to make up the numbers.

“Anybody thinking anything different would be very, very silly. We’re expecting a ding-dong battle, no doubt about it.”