For the second time in three years, Ballynacargy suffered the frustration and heartbreak of losing the intermediate championship final after a replay. But despite that disappointment, they could still take a lot of positives from the year according to team captain Aidan Lyons. Nine years after it took three games to separate them in the intermediate championship final, Ballynacargy and Maryland renewed their rivalry in last year's decider and once again served up an epic battle, which was only decided after over 140 minutes of enthralling action. But on this occasion, it was Maryland and not Ballynacargy who eventually prevailed by a point to lift the coveted Peter Geraghty Cup and secure promotion to the senior ranks. Needless to say, Ballynacargy were devastated to lose but as their manager Frank Mescall pointed out afterwards, they could still hold their heads high after contributing so much to the final and the championship overall. "We gave it everything, but just fell short in the end," Ballynacargy captain Aidan Lyons ruefully reflects. "Because the teams were so evenly matched, a bit of luck was always going to decide it and having got whatever luck was going the first day, we probably couldn't have any complaints. Fair play to young (Callum) McCormack for pointing that '45 at the end. It wasn't an easy thing to do, and I think Maryland will go on to do well at senior level." Lyons, who has proven to be a huge addition to Bal' since transferring from Mullingar Shamrocks in 2007, says the Moynihan Park outfit can take a lot of positives from the year, despite ending it empty-handed. Having struggled since losing the 2005 intermediate final to Kullucan after a replay, not many had expected to make the impact they did last season when they not only pushed Maryland to wire, but also retained their All-County League Division 1 status after being promoted in 2007. "Given our lowly starting point, you would have to say that it was a good year overall. We got to the intermediate final and stayed in Division 1, and not a lot of people would have predicted that at the start of the year. "Our form dipped slightly during the summer, but we got it back for the knockout stages of the championship and produced a couple of great performances. But it's a pity we weren't able to finish it off against Maryland. However, there is no doubt that we have made progress and have plenty to build on this year," the Athlone-based garda adds. Under the management of Frank Mescall and his backroom team of Tom Reilly, Anthony Maher, Damien Maher and Tom Creagh, Ballynacargy were slow to get going in the championship and had it all to do to reach the knockout stages after picking up just one point from their first three games. Some erratic shooting cost them dearly in their opening game against championship favourites Tubberclair at Tang. Bal' dominated possession in the first half, but failed to translate it into scores and, helped by a Francis Spollen goal, Tubberclair went into the break 1-5 to 0-5 ahead. Three points in the opening 12 minutes of the second half from Mark Wallace, Dwayne Maher and Mark Murphy had Ballynacargy on level terms, however, and when Jason Wallace put them ahead with his second point, they looked set to triumph. But disappointingly, Bal' could manage just one point from a free in the last 14 minutes, during which Tubberclair scored 0-5 to run out 1-11 to 0-11 winners. Bal' had to settle for a share of the spoils with Shandonagh following a cracking local derby second round clash at a rain-soaked Cusack Park. A Mark Wallace goal gave Frank Mescall's side a slender 1-3 to 0-5 half-time lead, but Mickey Boyle had Shandonagh on level terms within 50 seconds of the restart and they went on to open up a three-point lead before Wallace pounced for a second goal to restore parity once again. Scores from Declan McGuinness and Dwayne Maher pushed Bal' two points clear, only for Shandonagh to hit back with a goal from substitute Mick Mercer. But Danny Keena rescued a 2-7 to 1-10 draw for the blue and golds with a last-gasp point that could just as easily have been a goal. Ballynacargy looked down and out after Tang staged a tremendous second half comeback to record a 3-12 to 2-11 victory at Cusack Park. After an evenly-contested opening quarter, Dwayne Maher grabbed two goals in the space of five minutes to send Bal' into the break holding a 2-6 to 0-7 lead. But inspired by Niall Bannon, Tang came storming back in the second half to pull off an unlikely win. The southerners had reduced the deficit to the minimum before Bannon scored two goals in as many minutes to turn the game on its head, and there was no way back for the blue and golds after that. Nothing less than full points from Bal's remaining two games would suffice in their quest to reach the knockout stages. They responded to the second half collapse against Tang with a solid 1-13 to 0-9 victory over Rosemount at a rain-swept Lakepoint Park. Liam Reilly gave them the perfect start with a fifth minute goal, and they went on to lead 1-5 to 0-1 at the end of the first quarter. With Dwayne Maher in sparkling form, there was no respite for Rosemount with Bal' taking a 1-11 to 0-4 lead into the interval. Bal' added just two points in the second half, but their lead was never threatened by the 2007 junior champions. Without much warning, Bal' then suddenly hit a rich vein of form which saw them score a whopping 14 goals in just three games and power into the championship decider. Milltownpass were first to feel the full force of Frank Mescall's rejuvenated charges, who were brushed aside on a 5-14 to 0-9 scoreline. Star of the show was corner forward Dwayne Maher, who helped himself to 3-7 in a virtuoso display. Milltownpass made some dreadful mistakes and were severely punished by a rampant Bal' attack. Ballynacargy led by just five points at half-time, 2-6 to 0-7, but they cut loose in the second 30 minutes with Danny Scally and Michael Loran also getting in on the goal-scoring act. The Longford-border club were even more emphatic winners over a shell-shocked Kilbeggan Shamrocks, who they demolished 6-16 to 2-4 in the quarter-final under the St. Loman's floodlights. On a perfect night for football, Bal' recovered from the concession of two early points to go into half-time leading 4-7 to 0-4 thanks to goals from Declan McGuinness, Willie Murtagh, David Doran and Dwayne Maher. Kilbeggan briefly rallied in the second half with a brace of Emmett Dalton goals before Bal' wrapped up the most convincing of wins with further majors from substitute Michael Loran and McGuinness. An unbeaten Castletown-Finea/Coole/Whitehall were expected to ask serious questions of Ballynacargy in the semi-final, and there was little to separate the sides until Willie Murtagh scored the opening goal in the 27th minute. That score gave them a four-point cushion at the break, but an improved second half display from Finea saw them reduce the deficit to the minimum before goals from Michael Loran and Liam Reilly in the final 10 minutes sealed a 3-6 to 0-9 victory for the blue and golds. Just as in 1999, Celebrity Bainisteoir winners Maryland provided the opposition for Ballynacargy in the final. Favoured by the wind, Bal' started brightly and scored 1-2 between the eighth and 12th minutes to establish an early foothold. But a timely goal from Joe Harte saw Maryland go into the break trailing by just a single point, 1-3 to 1-4. Kieran Martin levelled within five minutes of the restart before the sides exchanged the next four points. Maryland then enjoyed their most productive spell which yielded 1-3, and included a goal from Martin, to put themselves in a winning position. Leading by three points in injury-time, Maryland's long wait looked to be coming to an end, but there was one final twist which saw Ballynacargy earn a penalty that was successfully converted by substitute Michael Loran to send the final to a replay on a 2-10 each scoreline. The replay on October 26 was equally tense with little or nothing to separate the sides. Ballynacargy had the advantage of the elements in the first half, but it was Maryland who started the brighter and were rewarded with a 24th minute goal from Kieran Martin. Ballynacargy, however, finished the half strongly with Dwayne Maher's free giving them a slender half-time lead. A pointed free by Callum McCormack had Maryland on level terms within two minutes of the resumption. Further scores from Kieran and David Martin and McCormack had opened up a 1-5 to 0-5 lead with 18 minutes remaining. But Ballynacargy refused to throw in the towel and they regained the lead when Mark Murphy netted in the 53rd minute. Anthony Reynolds and Tom Browne replied with points to edge Maryland back in front, only for Maher to equalise for Ballynacargy with the last kick of normal time. The sides faced into extra-time level on 1-7 each, but Ballynacargy had taken a 1-9 to 1-8 lead when Maryland were reduced to 14 players following the dismissal of midfielder David Reynolds on a second yellow card. When Michael Loran made it 1-10 to 1-8 at the start of the second period, the Peter Geraghty Cup looked destined for Ballynacargy, but in a dramatic finish, points from substitute Damien Reynolds and 17-year-old Callum McCormack handed Maryland a dramatic 1-11 to 1-10 victory. Reflecting on the campaign, former Westmeath defender Lyons says: "We struggled in the group stage up until the Rosemount game. After that, we seemed to catch fire and were obviously very disappointed not to finish the job against Maryland. "But they had been involved in much closer games, and maybe that's what stood to them in the end." Ballynacargy also reached the junior 'B' final, only to lose to Rosemount by 0-3 to 0-8 in atrocious conditions in Rosemount in mid-January. All of Bal's scores came from Danny Keena on a day when the home side's more direct style paid dividends. Lyons is hoping Bal' can make amends in 2009, but knows it won't be easy. "The beauty of the intermediate championship is that it is so competitive. All of the teams are capable of beating each other on any given day. We struggled to get out of the group last year, so that's something we need to improve on. It's all about timing your form and getting the bit of luck that's needed to win the championship," he concludes. The Ballynacargy team which lined out in the IFC final replay was: Richard Price; Jason Wallace, Timmy Mescall, Kieran Sheridan; Aidan Scally, Andrew Heduvan, John Keena; Aidan Lyons, Mark Wallace; Declan McGuinness, Willie Murtagh, Danny Scally; Mark Murphy, Liam O'Reilly, Dwayne Maher. Subs used: Michael Loran, Ger Heduvan and David Doran. The Bal' team that contested the junior 'B' final was: Danny Fagan; Bernard Nally, Aidan Scally, John Keena; Jason Wallace, Vincent Eivers, Richard Price; Andrew Heduvan, Niall Eivers; Danny Scally, Mark Murphy, Daragh Keena; Danny Keena, Michael Loran, Davy Doran. Tweet

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