The 2005 Westmeath intermediate football championship was one of the most competitive in years. There were a number of teams with a genuine chance of landing the Peter Geraghty Cup. Ballynacargy made it to the final, but as Maroon and White tells, there was to be no fairy tale ending for the club. Over the past 15 years, the club have emerged as a genuine football force and gone are the days when they languished in the junior ranks. Ballynacargy have tasted senior action following their wins in the 1996 and 1999 intermediate championship finals. The last of which was courtesy of an epic battle with Maryland that saw the sides play three matches before Bal' finally emerged victorious. In 2000, they established themselves in the senior grade by qualifying for the quarterfinals of the championship for the first time since the early fifties. Not many would have predicted this at the start of the campaign as the blue and golds were expected to make a quick return to the intermediate ranks. The following year, the club were fortunate to stay up as they only recorded one win in five matches. The dizzy heights of the previous year could not be reached again. Not surprisingly, relegation was not avoided in 2002 and after just three short years at senior level, Ballynacargy were back down to the intermediate grade. Their first year back in the middle grade did not go to plan as the club made an early exit from the intermediate championship much to the shock of their faithful. The 2004 campaign saw the blue and golds slump to their worst championship performances for years and they needed a play-off win over Tang to ensure their status for another year. The Ballynacargy players had to ask serious questions of themselves and they answered in the right way, by opening the 2005 campaign with a 1-13 to 0-10 win over Caulry. It was an important result for them as a defeat would have seen morale drop lower than it was, but the Ballynacargy players stood up to be counted. Playing with the aid of a stiff breeze, the blue and golds raced into a 0-8 to 0-3 lead by half-time. However, they were further boosted when corner forward Mark Murphy played in midfielder Mark Wallace and he coolly slotted the ball into the corner of the net to give Bal' a comfortable lead. Murphy and Dwayne Maher fired over a brace of points to cancel out Caulry's attempt of a comeback before Gary Wallace left eight points between the sides following a well-taken point. Jason Wallace and Maher capped a fine afternoon's work by closing the scoring for a comfortable 1-13 to 0-10 win and more importantly an opening day win in the championship. The 2004 junior champions St Joseph's were the next opponents for Ballynacargy, but the atrocious weather conditions did not help the players. The game itself was a dour affair, although Bal' looked the stronger in the second half and led by a point with three minutes remaining, but St Joseph's fired over a late equaliser. Gary Wallace was once again top scorer for the blue and golds with four points as the game finished 0-8 apiece. Ballynacargy then hit a sticky patch as they secured a draw with Moate. Indeed this was not a bad result as both sides contributed to a magnificent match and neither side deserved to lose. Nonetheless, Bal' went about producing their worst display of the year in their next outing when Killucan were the opponents. Killucan looked the hungrier side on the day and a goal after 15 minutes paved the way for victory. In the second half Ballynacargy looked more like their old selves, but the fact that they only managed two points, one from play, during that period shows how dominant Killucan were. Six points separated the sides at the end of the match as the scoreline read 1-10 to 0-7. Despite that defeat the blue and golds were still in with a chance of qualifying for the knockout stages of the championship. However, they entered the match against Shandonagh short the services of six players and it was feared that another defeat could be the outcome. The Ballynacargy XV that took to the field in Ballymore showed great determination and heart not to be overawed by Shandonagh. In the first half, it was the light blues who dominated proceedings as they raced into a 1-4 to 0-2 lead by half-time. Points from Gary Wallace, Liam Reilly and Michael Loran helped narrow the gap midway through the second half and when Reilly scored a goal with six minutes remaining, the Ballynacargy supporters sensed a victory could be obtained as they lead by two points with time running out. Shandonagh did respond with a point but this was to be the last score of the match, although with six minutes of injury time being played, it was certainly a nervous time for all concerned, but Bal held on for a 1-7 to 1-6 win. Ballynacargy made sure of their place in the quarterfinal following their most emphatic championship win in some years over a poor Castletown Finea/Coole/Whitehall side. An excellent Gary Wallace goal after only five minutes set the tone for the afternoon and four minutes before the break, Ballynacargy scored their second goal when Declan McGuinness slotted neatly home. The blue and golds lead by 2-8 to 0-5 at half time, although they really took over in the second half when restricting Finea to just four points in the final 30 minutes. Michael Loran and Jason Wallace added two more goals as Ballynacargy cruised into the last eight courtesy of a 4-16 to 0-9 win. They say games breed confidence and Ballynacargy's performance in the quarterfinal certainly proved that point as they looked assured and assertive in seeing off the challenge of Maryland. Ballynacargy manager Gerry Nohilly would have been pleased with the manner in which his side went about booking their place in the semi-finals. The blue and golds lead right from the start as Dwayne Maher fired over two points. Maryland were always playing catch up from here on in and although they managed to draw level a few minutes later, it was Bal who dominated proceedings. If there was one criticism to be found in the winner's performance, it was their inability to put away Maryland earlier on. Ballynacargy lead by 0-7 to 0-4 at the interval and just eight minutes into the second half, there were five points between the sides. Maryland did their best to try and get back into the match, but it wasn't to be their day as a resolute Ballynacargy side held on for a 0-11 to 0-7 win. Gerry Nohilly's side went into the semi-final as underdogs against a Rosemount side considered favourites for the title. Everything looked to be going to plan for Rosemount when they scored a goal midway through the first half, although the blue and golds did manage to draw level by half time, 0-6 to 1-3. The second half was a tight affair also until Ger Heduvan gave them the lead with ten minutes remaining before Gary Wallace, Dwayne Maher, Liam O'Reilly and Heduvan again fired over to give Bal a 0-12 to 1-6 victory and a place in the final against Killucan. The final may not have produced the best brand of football, but for sheer excitement alone, it was worth the entrance fee. Ballynacargy had to rely on a late free by Dwayne Maher to ensure they got another crack at the title. Killucan dominated proceedings for the majority of the match, but it was Nohilly's charges who lead at half time thanks mainly to a Gary Wallace goal midway through the opening period. Ballynacargy's second goal ten minutes into the second half gave them hope when it looked as if the Saffrons were about to pull away. The sides exchanged scores until it looked as if Killucan had done enough to secure the title, until Maher's late intervention. The replay wasn't played for a further three weeks and the long lay-off seemed to affect Ballynacargy as they struggled to get into their stride early on and Killucan lead by 0-7 to 0-4 at half time. Dwayne Maher (2) and Jason Wallace fired over points to bring the sides level ten minutes into the second half, but they suffered a setback in the 43rd minute when James Nugent scored the only goal of the game. Ballynacargy tried hard to claw their way back into the match, but it was not to be as Killucan held on to continue their amazing record of never losing an adult final. It was heartbreaking for Ballynacargy after the huge effort they put in during the course of the year. Now they must put that defeat behind them and go one step further in 2006. Tweet

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