Ruane remains calm before storm

Brian Ruane doesn't exactly knock you over with his enthusiasm. He is one of Ballina's most experienced players and captain for the second year running, but fired up and fanatical he is not. With his low monotone voice and casual demeanour he operates on understatement and common sense.

On that basis, it's safe to assume in Croke Park this afternoon the Ballina dressingroom won't be overheated. Perhaps more than any other club finalist they're viewing their opposition, Portlaoise, as just another team to beat.

There are reasons for this calm calculation. When Ballina last came to Croke Park in 1999 they probably played the better football and still lost to Crossmaglen. They know almost everyone views this as a 50-50 game. Most of all, though, they're trying to stay clear of the inevitable pressure Mayo teams now endure in major finals, where the recent defeats outnumber the victories by about 15 to one.

And in that regard Ruane is the perfect captain. No matter how much you press him there won't be any admittance of pressure or expectation. Ballina have won back-to-back county titles and won well in Connacht. Why should they be under any extra pressure?

"I don't see how any other team could influence our performance," says Ruane. "It doesn't bother me who has won or lost before us. Even the Ballina team of six years ago was completely different to this one. So none of that is going to effect us."

The more Ruane talks about the game the more his serene qualities become deliberate: "Well there's a certain amount of extra responsibility as captain. I just try to make sure the players are happy, and everything is going smoothly . . . But we are trying to keep the hype to a minimum. All we want to do is win the All-Ireland, and that's all we're focused on."

For the general Mayo supporter, Crossmolina's club victory in 2001 helped erase the memory of Ballina's defeat two years earlier, and the feeling is the county has rowed in behind this latest trophy quest - especially after what happened in Croke Park last September.

"We're not really conscious of that either. We're representing Ballina first, but maybe there is a lot of Mayo support there, and a lot of them are delighted a Mayo team are back in Croke Park so quickly. But that's something for the supporters, not the team," says Ruane.

"The key for us is the mental attitude, and to focus on the game without being too overexcited . . . If we win I suppose that would be the tonic for the supporters after what happened to the Mayo seniors."

At last, some admission of expectation. The whole of Mayo needs this win as much as the players do.