FOOTBALL PREVIEW/Ballinderry v Nemo Rangers, Semple Stadium, 3.40 Live on TG4:  Like the hurling final, this pits newcomers against experienced campaigners but it's important to remember that the club championships punish experience as often as they reward it, writes Sean Moran

Again like the first match tomorrow, the newcomers come to the final with the better semi-final display.

It says much for Ballinderry that they could face Rathnew in a swamp and still win so comfortably. They have a formidable combination of star quality and high levels of competence throughout the field.

Impressions of Nemo Rangers have been dominated by their unexpected defeat by Crossmolina in last year's final and the reliance on Colin Corkery for scores. Losing last year punctured the club's traditional image of invincibility whereas the poor spread of scoring options undermines the impression of menace that Nemo teams of old radiated.

Nonetheless, the Cork champions can't be discounted. Corkery may have scored their entire semi-final total but that is at least partly attributable to the way Nemo play. Corkery is deliberately isolated and whereas more cut might be expected of Joe Kavanagh, who has an established goal-scoring record at intercounty level, Alan Cronin and the other forwards are more ball winners and carriers than scorers. A couple of good goal chances were created against Charlestown but JP O'Neill wasn't able to finish either.

The problems for Nemo, however, are likely to be further out. Despite a physical advantage at centrefield, they were outfielded and outplayed in the first half by David Tiernan and Aidan Higgins in the semi-final. Bringing Maurice McCarthy to the sector helped tighten things up after the break but when compared to Enda Muldoon's tour de force in Ballinderry's semi-final, it wasn't earth-shattering stuff.

At the back, the Cork side still look uncomfortable against a running attack. Charlestown's best moments came when they took on their markers and a year ago Kieran McDonald unhinged the defence by carrying the ball at them.

Steven O'Brien's declining mobility creates difficulties because in so many other ways he is the fulcrum of the team, acute in his positional sense and sharp in his distribution. Nemo can't afford to have him on the back foot all afternoon. Yet Conleth Gilligan looks capable of doing just that.

How their two most influential players, Corkery and O'Brien, cope with the size of Thurles is another worry for Nemo, particularly with such an athletic opposition. You couldn't write them off but Ballinderry are

worthy favourites.