Seán Moran hears from Danny Ball about an underage saga that took place in the 90s.Sunday's All-Ireland semi-final between Kerry and Tyrone is the first meeting of the teams at senior championship level since 1986.

But the counties played out a significant rivalry at under-21 in the early 1990s. Despite the fact that Tyrone had the better of the meetings, it was Kerry who added senior medals to their 1990 underage success.

Four players of that 1990 vintage - Liam Flaherty, Eamonn Breen, Maurice Fitzgerald and Pa Laide - were around when the county won the senior All-Ireland in 1997.

Of the Tyrone teams that completed back-to-back successes in 1991-1992, only Peter Canavan and Chris Lawn are still playing on in pursuit of senior success with a team largely built around the more recent double under-21 success of 2000-2001.

The matches between the counties from 1990 to 1992 encompassed two finals and a semi-final. The extraordinary thing about the finals was the margin of victory in each game. In the first year Kerry won by 10 points; 12 months later Tyrone by 20.

"It was a learning experience," remembers Danny Ball, who managed Tyrone to both successes, of the transformation between 1990 and 1991. "Players didn't want to go through that again. They were being slated in the county, people were laughing at us. But we weren't that much worse.

"The first year Billy O'Sullivan could do no wrong but we hit the woodwork on five occasions. The whole thing was a learning curve for me and the players."

O'Sullivan was the Kerry player who hit four goals as his team won the title to equal the 1967 record in under-21 finals of Mayo's Willie McGee. But, despite both sides showing a similar number of changes for the next year, Tyrone held on to the majority of their most influential players and gave an unforgettable display in Newbridge to win by 4-16 to 1-5.

A year later they again won in the All-Ireland semi-final before defeating Galway in the final. Had anyone said that day in Newbridge in May 1991 that the next four senior All-Irelands were going to Ulster you wouldn't have been able to put money on Tyrone taking at least one of them.

"I said it after the first year's final," says Ball. "I remember I was in the Keadeen Hotel and a reporter asked me about the future.

"I said that the Sam Maguire would spend more time in Ulster than in any other province during the 1990s. And I certainly thought that Tyrone would be one of those winners.

"That was my belief having played against the Meaths, Galways and Kerrys at underage level. There was nothing to be afraid of. Success is down to belief."

But it didn't happen that way. Instead, Down (twice), Donegal and Derry made triumphant returns home. Under the joint management of Art McRory and Eugene McKenna, Tyrone became the first team in 20 years to retain the Ulster title and in 1995 came heart-stoppingly close to beating Dublin in the All-Ireland final, but Sam Maguire never arrived.

Ball didn't get the nod to take over at senior level until 1996 and feels that the opportunity came too late with the team burned out after the exertions of 1995 and 1996 when losing to Meath in the All-Ireland semi-final. "I've often looked back and regretted that, but it wasn't my choice."

Current manager Mickey Harte has been given the reins within two years of his under-21 successes, a move of which Ball approves.

"Mickey's got the team at the right time. All teams depend on personnel and managers, but under-21 management is as near to senior as you'll get."

His two years with the senior team weren't the happiest. Injuries, fatigue and loss of form led to defeats by Derry and Down. In those pre-qualifiers days there was no way back. Ball looks a little wistfully at the modern structures.

"I wish it was there when I was managing the team. Looking back at the injuries and discontent at the time, I would have loved to be able to regroup and come back.

"Look at Donegal this year. Nobody was giving them any chance. They lost to Fermanagh and a few years ago that would have been the end of them and the management would probably have been changed. Instead, they're in the semi-final and none of the other three teams would want to be playing them."

He also believes that, with the age profile of senior teams falling, the influence of recent under-21 players is growing all the time and the ideal time to move up a level is probably getting earlier.

"It's definitely a young man's game. There are few enough players carrying on over the age of 28 with the additional fixtures taking their toll."

Looking to Sunday, he doesn't see much between the teams and believes attitude on the day will be all-important. He is optimistic about his county's prospects.

"There's a very good chance. The team that wants it most will win it. There have been games this year that Tyrone seemed to have had difficulty getting their concentration right.

"They got out of jail against Derry and Down but this is one match that the team will have to be focused on. Tyrone will have to stop the supply to Kerry's attack."