Nobber and Ballinabrackey bid for provincial glory

Nobber and Ballinabrackey will go in search of more provincial glory for the county when they finally play their respective Leinster Club finals on Sunday afternoon. Nobber will take on Kildare champions and Ballymore in the IFC final at 2.0, while Ballinabrackey will travel to Carlow to tackle St Andrew's in the JFC final in Dr Cullen Park, 1.0. Nobber will be hoping for more than just a victory against Ballymore - they will also be hoping for better protection for their men, most notably for their marquee player Brian Farrell. The Meath forward was the subject of some special 'treatment' in the semi-final win over Carlow side Naomh Eoin in November. As Nobber's main score-getter opposition teams will invariably try to curtail Farrell's influence but even if two players are consigned to mark him he should create space for his colleagues to inflict damage. Farrell held his temper well until the final stages in the Naomh Eoin game when a few words to the referee resulted in him picking up a second yellow and subsequent red. In an enthralling encounter the Carlow side asked some serious questions of Nobber who came back to win after looking at one stage as if the game was slipping from their grasp. “It's a great way to start the year, playing in a Leinster final,†said Nobber manager Davy Cahill as he looked ahead to Sunday's showdown. A few of the Nobber players have been seeking to shake off the effects of 'flu and Cahill is hopeful his charges will escape the worst effects of the dreaded bug. Much of the training has taken place indoors with St Patrick's CS in Navan used as a base. Even Nobber's efforts to arrange a challenge game with Ballinabrackey at Dunganny at the weekend came a cropper. Cahill had no doubts that Ballymore have had the same difficulties in getting their players in shape. “Everybody will be in the same boat,†he added. If Nobber have Farrell as their chief score-getter Ballymore also have some players who have tasted the big time most notably James Kavanagh who scored one of the goals that ended Meath's interest in last year's All-Ireland SFC quarter-final. The Nobber defence will also need to keep a close eye on Tommie Archbold who has a good reputation in Kildare football for taking chances when they come his way. Ballinabrackey no doubt could have done with the game against Nobber to get them in shape for their Leinster Club JFC final. Despite the problems involved in getting in some training Ballinabrackey manager Pascal Kellaghan remains confident his team can pick up the form that made 2010 a memorable year for them. He says the club have exceeded their objectives they set out for themselves when they started out early last year and if they claim a provincial crown it will be an added bonus. The team, he say, waited a long time to win the JFC and their hunger remains. “The lads are still motivated. It is a long time since they last won a championship and this is their first venture into the Leinster championships so they are well up to it,†said Kellaghan. “St Andrew's have had the same problems as us with being unable to train, but I think our lads will be up for this game. We have had a brilliant year and everything at this stage is a bonus. “We have a very young group of lads who are willing to put in the hard work. We are in with a real chance and we are looking forward to going down to a county ground where we will give it a good shot.â€