Bal' still searching for breakthrough
April 01, 2010Ballynacargy are in danger of becoming the 'nearly men' of the intermediate football championship after losing their third final in five seasons last October.
In 2005 and 2008, they lost to Killucan and Maryland respectively after replays. Last year, there was no need for a second day as they crashed to a 2-10 to 0-9 defeat to Tubberclair. To compound matters, they also relinquished their All-County League Division 1 status after two years in the top flight.
"We were hoping it would be a case of third time lucky, but Tubberclair were that bit sharper on the day and we couldn't have any complaints," new Ballynacargy secretary Paul McDonnell ruefully reflects.
"It was hard to take because that's three finals we've lost since 2005. We seem to suffer from nerves on the big day; lads just don't seem to turn up. The longer you go without winning a championship, the harder it gets, but hopefully this year we'll finally get over the line and win promotion to the senior ranks."
McDonnell, who continues to line out for Bal' but missed a large chunk of last season with an ankle injury, admits the club's recent final losses have been demoralising, in particular for the younger players who have yet to experience the thrill of winning an intermediate championship.
"You'd have to feel sorry for the lads who still have to win an intermediate championship. I'm not too bad because I won two intermediate championships in 1996 and '99, but it's hard for the lads who have come on the panel since then. But I know they won't give up until they finally get their hands on that elusive championship medal," he says.
Under the management once again of Frank Mescall and his selectors Anthony Maher and Tom Kearney, the Moynihan Park outfit opened last year's championship campaign with a 1-13 to 2-6 victory over Moate All-Whites at Ballymore. Dwayne Maher had already shot 1-3 before he was red-carded in the 21st minute. Despite their numerical disadvantage, the blue and golds went on to lead by 1-8 to 1-3 at half-time and had surged into a 1-13 to 1-4 lead before a late Moate rally yielded an unanswered 1-2.
Ballynacargy suffered their only defeat en route to the final at the hands of Kilbeggan Shamrocks in round two. To say this was a surprise result would surely be an understatement. After all, Bal' had hammered the same opposition by 24 points in the previous year's quarter-final, but they completely underestimated Kilbeggan this time around.
A brace of Willie Murtagh goals had Bal' three points in front at the break, but Kilbeggan roared back in the second half with goals from David Keenan and Emmett Dalton to win by 2-14 to 2-8.
Frank Mescall's charges got back to winning ways when they walloped Milltownpass for the second year in succession. They led by just five points at the break, 1-8 to 1-3, but cut loose in the second half to run out emphatic 4-17 to 2-8 winners with Dwayne Maher helping himself to 1-5 and Gary Keena scoring 2-1.
Ballynacargy chalked up their third win when they edged out Tang by 0-13 to 2-6. The south county outfit scored a goal in either half and looked set for victory when Aidan Burke gave them the lead with eight minutes remaining. But after Mark Murphy levelled the scoring, substitute Daniel Keena landed the winning point for Bal' two minutes from the end.
Ballynacargy secured top spot in the group and a place in the semi-finals when they overcame St. Mary's by 1-12 to 0-9. The scoreline didn't do justice to the Rochfortbridge side who led by two points early in the second half, only to fade out of it after Gary Keena grabbed the only goal after Willie Murtagh's initial shot had been saved.
In the semi-final, Ballynacargy proved too strong for Castletown-Finea/Coole/Whitehall, running out 1-11 to 0-6 winners. However, there was an element of luck to Bal's victory as the game had been in the melting pot until substitute Daniel Keena's 47th minute shot deceived the Finea 'keeper Gary Sullivan and came off the inside of the upright and into the net for the only goal.
Not long after that, Richard Price made a brilliant save to deny Niall Kilcoyne at the opposite end and Dwayne Maher followed up with the insurance point.
Sadly for Bal', the story didn't have a happy ending as they once again suffered the bitter disappointment of losing a county final. Tubberclair lived up to their favourites' billing with a seven-point victory in front of 3,200 spectators at Cusack Park on October 11.
Ballynacargy were in trouble at half-time when they trailed by 0-5 to 1-6, despite having played with the wind. Points from Francis 'Brolly' Spollen and Fergal Wilson gave Tubberclair an early 0-2 to 0-0 lead before Ballynacargy replied with three unanswered points from Liam O'Reilly, Mark Wallace and Dwayne Maher to move in front after seven minutes.
But Tubberclair never looked back after Conor Elliott crashed home a superb ninth minute goal which helped them to a four-point interval lead. Tubberclair surged six points clear on the restart before Ballynacargy brought the margin back down to four.
With 10 minutes remaining, however, county star Fergal Wilson put the result beyond doubt when he applied a delightful finish to a move involving Robert Buckley and Thomas Doogan.
Ironically, the Longford-border club have turned to a Tubberclair man - Danny Sammon - in a bid to finally land the Peter Geraghty Cup this year. Sammon guided the Glasson men to an intermediate championship success in 2002 and repeated the trick with Cashel in Longford last year.
McDonnell, who has taken over as secretary from Damien Maher who had held the position for 10 years, explains: "Danny knows what it takes to win an intermediate championship and we're hoping he'll show us how this year. It will be strange not having Frank Mescall there, though. Frank was manager for 11 of the last 20 years and he owes us nothing at this stage."
He continues: "Our first objective is to get out of the group. If we manage that, we will start thinking about getting to the final. We also hope to win promotion back to Division 1 of the league following our relegation last year. We were in Division 1 for two years and undoubtedly benefited from playing against better quality opposition."
Ballynacargy also reached the junior 'B' final for the second year running, only to lose to Ballymore by 0-9 to 1-7 in Ballymore. The visitors looked the most likely winners when they led by 0-6 to 0-2 at half-time, but a Michael Slevin goal on the three-quarter hour mark turned the game in Ballymore's favour and Ballynacargy's goose was cooked when the home side's goalkeeper Conor McNeill produced a miraculous save to deny Daniel Keena a goal with 11 minutes remaining.
There was also final heartbreak for the Ballynacargy players involved in the St. Patrick's amalgamation, which lost the minor championship decider to Clann Bhraonain by 0-8 to 1-8 at Cusack Park. Bal' had seven players on the St. Patrick's starting line-up: defenders Cathal Burke, Aidan Wallace and Brian Slevin, midfielders Owen Burke and Ciaran Sheridan and forwards Jamie Loran and Gary Keena.
Ballynacargy's under 14 team also lost a county semi-final, but there was joy for the under 16s when they powered to a 2-18 to 1-9 victory over Rosemount in the 13-a-side (Division 3) final at Lakepoint Park. Aided by a strong wind in the first half, Rosemount only led by 1-4 to 0-6 at the break, and within a minute of the restart, Bal' pulled level through Darragh Lyons.
It remained close until the 44th minute when Lyons pounced for Bal's opening goal. The floodgates opened after that as the victors added 1-6 in a blistering 10-minute spell, with their second goal coming from Paul Poynton after Lyons and Jamie Loran created the opening.
After their defeats in the intermediate and junior 'B' finals, Ballynacargy finally had something to celebrate.
The Ballynacargy team which contested the intermediate championship final was: Richard Price; Griffin Kearney, Kieran Sheridan, Aidan Scally; John Keena, Timmy Mescall, Declan McGuinness; Mark Wallace, Andrew Heduvan; Danny Scally, Willie Murtagh, Liam O'Reilly; Mark Murphy, Dwayne Maher, Gary Keena. Subs used: Aidan Lyons, Jason Wallace, Daniel Keena and Michael Loran.
Ballynacargy's second team, which lost the junior 'B' final to Ballymore, was: Michael Penrose; John Keena, Aidan Scally, Griffin Kearney; Mark Brady, Bernard Nally, Darragh Keena; Niall Eivers, Vincent Eivers; Daniel Keena, Mark Murphy, Owen Burke; Gary Keena, Michael Loran, Sean Fagan.
The under 16 Division 3 winning team was: Shane Riggs; Stephen Riggs, Aidan Wallace; Dylan Keena, Brian Slevin (captain), Wayne Kelly; Gareth Dempsey, Paul Poynton; Shane Doran, Jamie Loran, Eoin Lynam; Darragh Lyons, Nicky Barr. Subs used: Ryan Maher and Glen Maguire. Tweet
