Back
Boyce and Ballina are ready for Monday's big game
Michael Gallagher4 Apr - 16:21
Excitement builds ahead of Plate Final
SPORT and life never fail to surprise. On Monday afternoon, Conor Boyce will rampage up the middle of Dexcom Stadium with the Ballina crest proudly emblazoned on his chest. Last Friday evening he was washing and blowdrying two of the bulls on the family farm. To say that Boyce leads a versatile life would be an understatement!
DETERMINED
The young man who lives just minutes from Heffernan Park, the sacred home ground of his beloved rugby club, is buoyant and excited as he thinks about the challenge he and his team are facing on Monday in Galway when they come up against Ballyhaunis in the Connacht Junior Plate Final.
The homegrown Ballina squad will travel to Galway full of hope and desire. They'll be hugely determined to finish a fine season with silveware in front of a loyal and passionate band of supporters.
“It's exactly where you want to be,” Boyce explains. “To get to the last day of the club season is special. Of course, we were hoping to be in the cup final, but that wasn't to be, on this occasion, and now we're determined to give this Plate final everything we have,” he added.
WINS AND LOSSES
Ballina began the season in fine fashion – winning the Cawley Cup and powering to the top of the J1A League. However, a last-gasp loss to Creggs in the league semi-final was a huge disappointment and a cup defeat to Tuam on a wet day in Galway stopped the cup charge. Since then, all thoughts have turned to the Plate campaign and on Monday afternoon the men in green will run out for the decider with Ballyhuanis.
Head coach Mickey Murphy and his side-kicks Richard Morrow and Aiden McNulty have worked tirelessly with the squad all season and Boyce is aware of the huge effort put in by the trio.
“They have brought so much to it this year. The three of them have a huge wealth of experience. Thery played so many times for Ballina and have so much to pass on to us. They're great clubmen; they put so much into it off the field too and training has been great.
“We're all is this because we want to be - we're all in this because we enjoy it and so many people have put so much into the team this season. Everyone in the club has been mighty and of course there's everyone at home too who support us and give us the opportunity to play and train together. I'm blessed to have a very patient girlfriend and father and that gives me the opportunity to play,” Boyce states as he explains the balancing act of work, the family farm and personal life.
“It's not just the players and coaches – it's everyone,” he adds. “There's a whole community behind us and we're determined to give it everything on Monday. We'd love to end the season with more silverware,” he continues.
HOME-GROWN
Conor is proud of the fact that the Ballina squad is completely home-grown. The men in green are all from the local community and that makes playing together very special, he says.
“We all started off together in Minis, and played all through the ranks. Now, we're beside each other in the senior team and loving it. We train together, we play together and we go out together, so we see a lot of each other. It's so enjoyable. The craic is back in the club and there's a great sense of unity and energy about the place.
“We're very serious about our rugby. We know that it takes time to build a team and to achieve all we want, and we're determined to work hard at it. We'd love to get back to the AIL together, and we'll keep working towards that, but right now it's all about Monday and trying to win the Plate. We'll give it everything and see where that takes us,” he concludes.
Monday's match against Ballyhaunis kicks off in Dexcom Stadium at 3.30pm
DETERMINED
The young man who lives just minutes from Heffernan Park, the sacred home ground of his beloved rugby club, is buoyant and excited as he thinks about the challenge he and his team are facing on Monday in Galway when they come up against Ballyhaunis in the Connacht Junior Plate Final.
The homegrown Ballina squad will travel to Galway full of hope and desire. They'll be hugely determined to finish a fine season with silveware in front of a loyal and passionate band of supporters.
“It's exactly where you want to be,” Boyce explains. “To get to the last day of the club season is special. Of course, we were hoping to be in the cup final, but that wasn't to be, on this occasion, and now we're determined to give this Plate final everything we have,” he added.
WINS AND LOSSES
Ballina began the season in fine fashion – winning the Cawley Cup and powering to the top of the J1A League. However, a last-gasp loss to Creggs in the league semi-final was a huge disappointment and a cup defeat to Tuam on a wet day in Galway stopped the cup charge. Since then, all thoughts have turned to the Plate campaign and on Monday afternoon the men in green will run out for the decider with Ballyhuanis.
Head coach Mickey Murphy and his side-kicks Richard Morrow and Aiden McNulty have worked tirelessly with the squad all season and Boyce is aware of the huge effort put in by the trio.
“They have brought so much to it this year. The three of them have a huge wealth of experience. Thery played so many times for Ballina and have so much to pass on to us. They're great clubmen; they put so much into it off the field too and training has been great.
“We're all is this because we want to be - we're all in this because we enjoy it and so many people have put so much into the team this season. Everyone in the club has been mighty and of course there's everyone at home too who support us and give us the opportunity to play and train together. I'm blessed to have a very patient girlfriend and father and that gives me the opportunity to play,” Boyce states as he explains the balancing act of work, the family farm and personal life.
“It's not just the players and coaches – it's everyone,” he adds. “There's a whole community behind us and we're determined to give it everything on Monday. We'd love to end the season with more silverware,” he continues.
HOME-GROWN
Conor is proud of the fact that the Ballina squad is completely home-grown. The men in green are all from the local community and that makes playing together very special, he says.
“We all started off together in Minis, and played all through the ranks. Now, we're beside each other in the senior team and loving it. We train together, we play together and we go out together, so we see a lot of each other. It's so enjoyable. The craic is back in the club and there's a great sense of unity and energy about the place.
“We're very serious about our rugby. We know that it takes time to build a team and to achieve all we want, and we're determined to work hard at it. We'd love to get back to the AIL together, and we'll keep working towards that, but right now it's all about Monday and trying to win the Plate. We'll give it everything and see where that takes us,” he concludes.
Monday's match against Ballyhaunis kicks off in Dexcom Stadium at 3.30pm
Further reading