It was Mission Accomplished for the footballers of Ballybay in 2008 as they achieved their primary objective of scooping the all-county IFC. Their brave bid for an intermediate double may have come up just short in the Division Two league decider, but it was nonetheless a thoroughly successful and decidedly memorable season for the Pearse Brothers - clearly the best intermediate team in Monaghan in '08. The first real sign that Ballybay weren't messing around was evident in Castleblayney on Sunday August 24 when they thumped Donaghmoyne by eleven points in their second outing in the IFC. That 0-17 to 0-6 quarter-final victory represented a statement of intent and the Pearses never looked back thereafter as they stormed to a third outright intermediate championship win of the new millennium. After that emphatic quarter-final win, subsequent victories in the 'knockout' competition may not have been quite as emphatic, but there was no doubting who was the stand-out team in the 2008 Monaghan IFC In the quarter-final, arguably the team's best performance of a stand-out year, eleven of Ballybay's 17 points were from play and they served up a feast of attractive, effective football, making the most of the unavailability of Doyaghmoyne talisman Rory Woods. The Pearses were in complete control all over the field, from start to finish, with county star Paul Finlay - a colossus all season - orchestrating the annihilation from centre forward and clipping over eight sumptuous points, six of them from frees. The winners held control from the moment Finlay slotted over a second-minute free and all six of their starting forwards registered over the hour. The easy of victory was emphasised by a nine-point interval advantage. From there, the beleaguered opposition simply had no way back. Ballybay, IFC quarter-final victors over Donaghmoyne: Sean Gorman; Sean McCabe, Fergal Smyth, James Kerr; Fergal McArdle, Mickey Lennon, James Garraghan; Thomas O'Neill, Drew Wylie; Shane McQuillan (0-1), Paul Finlay (0-8), Bryan McCabe (0-2); Christopher McGuinness (0-2), Pauric Kerr (0-1), Gerry Connors (0-2). Subs: Hugh Malone, Cillian McAviney (0-1), John Rutledge, Darren Smyth At the semi-final stage, Ballybay - with central attackers Paul Finlay and Hugh Malone to the fore (they got 1-10 between them) - were pitted against Truagh at Scotstown on Sunday September 21. As these were the two most fancied sides left in the competition, the 1-14 to 0-11 victory was a massive step in the right direction, a win that left the Pearse Brothers just one hour away from a rapid return to senior football. The shoot-out between Paul Finlay and Gary Meegan finished all-square, with the Ballybay man contributing 1-4 of his side's handsome tally, while Meegan chipped in with 0-7 for the losers. Full forward Hugh Malone was the difference for the winners as his six magnificent points from play were the difference between the teams at the final whistle. The Ballybay defence was in mean form, restricting just two Truagh forwards to scores, while Finlay provided his team with a timely boost when netting a brilliant solo goal in the 18th-minute. That was sufficient to ensure a two-point interval lead. Indeed, Finlay gave an exhibition - as was his wont all year - and his opponents simply had no answer to his power, work rate and uncanny vision. The Ballybay defence - with captain Fergal McArdle leading by example -worked demon-like throughout to unsettle Truagh's forward momentum, while the midfield pairing of Cillian McAviney and Drew Wylie held sway. Shane McQuillan and Christopher McGuinness gave capable support to an unstoppable attack that was led by Finlay on the 40 with the skilful Malone causing untold problems from the edge of the square. Ballybay, IFC semi-final winners against Truagh: Sean Gorman; Sean McCabe, Fergal Smyth, James Kerr; Fergal McArdle, Mickey Lennon, Mark McArdle; Cillian McAviney, Drew Wylie; Shane McQuillan (0-2), Paul Finlay (1-4), Bryan McCabe; Christopher McGuinness (0-1), Hugh Malone (0-6), Pauric Kerr. Subs: Gerry Connors, Paul Stuart, Pauric Duffy Meanwhile, Donaghmoyne continued their scenic-route revival by disposing of Emyvale in their semi-final to set up a Ballybay/Donaghmoyne IFC decider - a repeat of the quarter-final meeting of the same two teams. Such are the vagaries of the current system The final of the intermediate football championship would be played on Sunday, October 5th in Clontibret, with a 4pm start. It was in many ways an intriguing contest as these teams - alongside Truagh - would have been rated favourites for the title even before a ball was kicked in the opening round back in May. The scene was set for a thriller and the fact that Ballybay ultimately took the laurels by beating their two main rivals in three successive matches tells us all we need to know about the merits, legitimacy or authenticity of their success. A number of Ballybay's players went into the final seeking a third IFC medal, while none of the Donaghmoyne players had previous joy at this level. Paul Finlay (1-17) headed his county colleague Rory Woods (0-19) by one point in the overall IFC scoring charts, so the highest scorer from those two would also finish as the competition's premier marksman. Ballybay went into the game as favourites to add to their IFC wins of 2001 and 2004. Theyy boasted a team that was exceedingly fit thanks to the input on the training ground of Mickey Morgan and Fergal McArdle. Sean Gorman, Michael Lennon, Brian McCabe, Fergal McArdle, Fergal Smyth, Paul Stuart, Stephen Drury, Pauric Kerr, Paul Finlay and Hugh Malone had all been prominent in the only two previous intermediate triumphs of '01 and '04, so the side certainly had ample experience of performing on this stage. The Fontenoys, meanwhile, were seeking to add to their wins of 1932, '33 and '96 Ballybay had progressed to the final through the front door with three straight wins from as many games, after opening their programme with a 0-11 to 0-9 defeat of Sean McDermotts at Scotstown on Sunday May 11 in a game where they never really fired on all cylinders but did enough to keep their hopes intact. It was an unspectacular start to a stunning campaign. By winning the final, Ballybay became the inaugural winners of the all-new Paddy O'Rourke Memorial Cup, which replaced the Father Pat McCormick Cup as the prize for the IFC in 2008. They also maintained their perfect record in the middle tier's knockout competitions with a Played 4, Won 4 completion. On the day, the Pearse Brothers were too strong - especially towards the end of the match - as they powered to a 0-15 to 0-8 victory. Their consistency all year had been beyond question and this display saw Mickey Morgan's side book an instant return to the top table. Donaghmoyne's decision to play Rory Woods at centre back in direct opposition to Paul Finlay was a surprise and it led to a compelling battle. It was only in the closing quarter, after Woods was switched into attack, that Ballybay pulled away, with the Finlay effecting a five-point haul over the hour to finish as the competition's top scorer and also claim the Man of the Match accolade on county final day. Finlay's booming 26th-minute point from all of 60 metres was nothing short of supreme. After a fascinating first half, where both sides gave as good as they got, the protagonists were level at 0-6 each at the short whistle. There was still nothing to separate them ten minutes after the restart. However, the Pearse Brothers gradually got on top and they clipped over six unanswered points in the closing eleven minutes to confirm their return to senior football. Ballybay only took the lead for the first time in the 18th minute and the Fontenoys certainly tested them for the opening three-quarters of an at times compelling tussle, but Ballybay's greater class shone through in the end. Ballybay, 2008 Monaghan IFC winners: Sean Gorman; Bryan McCabe (0-1), Fergal Smyth, Mark McArdle (0-2); Fergal McArdle (0-1), Michael Lennon, Paul Stuart; Thomas O'Neill, Drew Wylie; Cillian McAviney, Paul Finlay (0-5), Shane McQuillan (0-2); Christopher McGuinness (0-1), Hugh Malone (0-3), Pauric Kerr. Subs: Sean McCabe Ballybay will hope to consolidate better in senior ranks this time than they did on the last two occasions they were promoted as intermediate champions. For 2009 and beyond, they look well-equipped for the challenges that lie ahead, though in recent times the winners of the IFC have tended to struggle upon making the step-up. Victories at underage level in '08 will have boosted the team further, while their superb form all year in the intermediate league is another cause for optimism. Indeed, Ballybay went extremely close to completing an intermediate league/championship double, only to come unstuck at the final hurdle. Due to the obvious family connections (John served as a selector in 2008, while the versatile Cillian was a key component of the team), the club was determined to bring the McAviney Cup to Pearse Park, but it just wasn't to be Ballybay confirmed a top-place finish in Division Two - and home venue for their semi-final against the same opposition - when Christopher McGuinness (1-4) came off the bench to inspire a 1-8 to 0-8 win over Corduff in Ballybay on Sunday October 19. The intermediate champions had trailed by two points at the turn-around but McGuinness found the net at the end of the third quarter and floated over three late scores to ensure a home win. A month later, at Pearse Park, Ballybay booked their place in the intermediate league final with a 0-13 to 1-6 win over Corduff, to edge within an hour of the double. Not for the first time in '08, it took a strong final quarter to see Ballybay through with Corduff ahead by five points some ten minutes into the second half. However, when it was needed, Ballybay found another gear and fashioned a strong finish to outscore the opposition by ten points to one to emerge victorious at the end of a keenly-contested game. During this period, Ballybay simply possessed too much firepower for a Corduff side who had given their all. Paul Finlay was again central to Ballybay's success and he received tremendous support from Hugh Malone (who had a big impact after being introduced at the start of the second half), Drew Wylie, Enda Keenan and Paul Stuart. Ballybay, 2008 intermediate league semi-final winners: Sean Gorman; Enda Keenan, Paul Stuart, Gavan Gorman; Fergal McArdle, Michael Lennon (0-1), Mark McArdle; Thomas O'Neill, Drew Wylie; Bryan McCabe (0-1), Paul Finlay (0-6), James Garraghan; Christopher McGuinness (0-1), Cillian McAviney (0-1), Pádraig Duffy. Subs: Niall Donaghy, Hugh Malone (0-3), Paul McCabe Ballybay were up for the double but, in fairness, Truagh had more to play for on the day of the Division Two decider as they needed victory to move up to senior ranks. Despite a brave effort from Ballybay, they were pipped at the post - 1-10 to 2-6. Ballybay put together a great second-half recovery after trailing for long periods but they were ultimately beaten by an injury-time Mark Counihan point, as a replay momentarily beckoned. It had been a long, long year for Ballybay already - what with their exertions in both domestic league and championship as well as the Ulster club championship - but they would gladly have extended their season by one more game had this one required another date The league final took place at St Mary's Park in Scotstown and it was the Gaels who marked their 50th anniversary year with a narrow win. Ballybay had been the best team in this grade all year, but nobody could deny the north county men their slice of glory. In a repeat of the championship semi-final, Truagh gained a measure of revenge by plundering the McAviney Cup. With the wind at their backs, Truagh led 0-3 to 0-1 after 19 minutes, but they required heroics from goalkeeper Anthony Treanor during this spell as the custodian denied Hugh Malone, Bryan McCabe and Cillian McAviney with a spectacular triple save. Truagh moved six points clear but Christopher McGuinness handed the IFC winners a lifeline when he found the net on the stroke of half time, 1-2 to 1-5. It was a five-point game going into the last ten minutes before county and national star Paul Finlay tied the scores up with a brilliant 1-2 blitz. Finlay again drew his side level with a '45' in the second minute of added time but there was still enough injury time for Truagh to nick it. Ballybay, 2008 McAviney Cup finalists: Sean Gorman; Paul Stuart, Fergal Smyth, Enda Keenan; Fergal McArdle, Michael Lennon, Mark McArdle; Drew Wylie, Paul Finlay (1-3); Cillian McAviney (0-1), Bryan McCabe (0-1), Padraig Duffy; Christopher McGuinness (1-0), Hugh Malone (0-1), Thomas O'Neill. Subs: Gerry Connors, James Garraghan, Niall Donaghy Ballybay's provincial campaign ended at the first hurdle as they crashed out of the Ulster club intermediate football championship when losing to champions-elect Trillick of Tyrone by 0-13 to 0-8 in Omagh. The preliminary round match was put back to accommodate Paul Finlay, who was on successful duty Down Under with the Irish International Rules team (what a year it was for him!), and it was also deferred to a 6pm evening start due to a bereavement in each club. Prior to throw-in, a minute's silence was observed as a mark of respect to the late Mrs Kathleen Watters - grandmother of two members of the Ballybay team - and to the late Angela Donnelly - an aunt of a number of players on the Trillick team. While every defeat is obviously disappointing in its own right, this was in many ways the best stage for Ballybay's great championship run to come to an end. They had achieved what they set out to achieve by capturing the Monaghan intermediate championship crown for the third time in eight seasons, and they can look back on the year gone by as an unqualified success. Ballybay, 2008 Ulster club intermediate football championship preliminary round V Trillick: Sean Gorman; Sean McCabe, Fergal Smyth, Gavan Gorman; Fergal McArdle, Michael Lennon, Mark McArdle; Drew Wylie, Thomas O'Neill; Enda Keenan, Paul Finlay (0-3), Bryan McCabe (0-1); Padraig Duffy (0-2), Paul Stuart (0-1), Christopher McGuinness. Subs: James Garraghan, Hugh Malone (0-1), Paul McCabe Every journey - no matter how big or small - begins with a first step. For Ballybay, this first step towards intermediate championship glory was taken at Scotstown on the Sunday evening of May 11 when they had two points to spare against a very stubborn and tricky Sean McDermotts side. The inspirational play of Paul Finlay and the predatory instincts of substitute Hugh Malone (who scored eight points between them) were decisive as 13-man Ballybay held out for a narrow but deserved victory in a hugely entertaining championship opener in north Monaghan. Ballybay led by two at half time, 0-6 to 0-4, and went on to open a four-point lead eight minutes into the second half. McDermotts rallied strongly in the final quarter and registered four unanswered points between the 17th and 29th minutes to tie the game up at nine points apiece, with Ballybay numerically reduced following the second-half dismissals of Mark McArdle and Darren Smyth. However, when they needed it most, Paul Finlay provided the electrifying finish with two pressure kicks to get them off to a winning start. Finlay's experienced foil - the brilliant Hugh Malone - chipped in with four points after being sprung from the bench in the first half. Ballybay, 2008 intermediate championship first-round winners V Sean McDermotts: Sean Gorman; Darren Smyth, Mark McArdle, Gavin Gorman; Barry Lennon, Drew Wylie (0-1), Fergal Smyth; Paul Finlay (0-4), Tommy O'Neill; Gerry Connors, Paul Stuart, Christopher McGuinness (0-1), Pauric Kerr, Shane McQuillan, Cillian McAviney. Subs: Hugh Malone 0-4, Bryan McCabe, Shane McQuillan. Our Club Ballybay Pearse Brothers have now returned to where they would consider their rightful place of senior football for 2009. It's now been almost 10 years since this proud club was relegated to junior ranks and those 10 years have been a rollercoaster ride for the players and their loyal supporters. After their relegation in 1998, and a year languishing at the lowest level, the club entered the new century by installing Cathal Hand, John Joe McKearney and Peter Ward who were members of the 1987 championship winning team, as the new managers. They had an uncomplicated brief, get the club back to senior level as soon as possible. They had a very young side but the talent was there as the work that Hugh Malone Senior had put in at under age level was beginning to show. A Minor league was annexed in 1998 and the following year a Minor Championship was landed. Players like the Finlay brothers, The McCabe's, Fergal McArdle, Sean Gorman, Mickey Lennon and Paul Stuart were now ready for senior level and they joined established players like Barry Duffy, Jimmy Sullivan, Colin Malone and Fergal Smyth in the first team. They won the Junior Double in 2000 and followed this with a win in the Intermediate Championship in 2001 against Tyholland that sparked jubilant scenes in the Mid Monaghan town. However possibly the managements best achievement was keeping this still young side in senior ranks in 2002. After three years in charge the management team decided to call it quits and relegation swiftly followed in 2003. The club then turned to Kieran Finlay and Paul McCarthy in 2004 and once again they found themselves in an intermediate final against Tyholland. They emerged with a hard fought victory after a replay and were once again back with the big boys. The club then stayed senior for the next few years including their Centenary year of 2006, although they needed a play off win against old rivals Tyholland. However the club was relegated in 2007 and started 2008 as an intermediate team. By this stage the minor players of the late 1990's were now reaching their prime and it would have been a great shame if they were unable to spend the best part of their careers at the highest level. They were joined by a crop of younger players such as Drew Wylie, Tommy O'Neill, Shane McQuillan and Mark McArdle and were ready to make another assault on the intermediate championship. Mickey Morgan had been recruited as manager after serving as assistant manager the previous year. The club made a solid start to the league; the only blot on the early season was a defeat away to Truagh. Probably the best performance was against early pace setters Corduff in a score fest in Corduff. The clubs two county minors, Christopher McGuinness and Gerry Connors were showing their undoubted talent and the club remained in the top 4 all year. Their Championship run started with a narrow win over Sean McDermott's, where the key moments were two late points by Paul Finlay and two outstanding saves by Sean Gorman. Victory over an under strength Donaghmoyne left Ballybay in a semi final with Truagh. The games between the two sides were the defining moments of the season. Home and away defeats to the North Monaghan club in the league were a reminder that they needed to be treated with respect and a large crowd gathered in Scotstown to see what many were calling the intermediate final in everything but name. Earlier in the year Paul Finlay had scored a spectacular goal at this ground for Monaghan in the NFL game against Meath. Paul's goal against Truagh in the semi final wasn't as memorable but they all count the same and this first half strike was the decisive score of the match. Truagh couldn't get on level terms. Victory set up a final against Donaghmoyne. Many saw this as a match up between Finlay and county colleague Rory Woods, a feeling that was added to when the Fontenoys put their main playmaker on Finlay in the first half. Indeed Donaghmoyne went in at half time the happier side as they were level after playing against a strong wind. However a few sharp words at half time from both manager and fellow players, refocused the Ballybay team and points from Finlay, McGuinness, McQuillan and too from corner back Mark McArdle saw Ballybay home by a scoreline of 0-15 v 0-9. The Championship victory assured a return to senior ranks but it also opened a door to the Ulster Intermediate Championship. The Monaghan qualifiers were scheduled to play the Tyrone Champions which everyone assumed would be the Sean Cavanagh inspired Moy. However Trillick emerged in a close final to set up a meeting with The Pearse Brothers on a foul night in Enniskillen. Ballybay never quite raised their game to the Tyrone teams level and were always chasing the game before eventually falling by five points. Attention then switched to winning the intermediate double. Victory over Corduff in the final league game of the season, achieved by a virtuoso performance by sub Christopher McGuinness set up a semi final meeting against the same opposition. Another victory over Corduff led to a final meeting with Truagh in the league final on another foul day in Scotstown. Ballybay against the wind in the first half and things looked bleak as Truagh established a six point lead but McGuiness scored a brilliant solo goal just before half time to leave just three points in the difference at the short whistle. However despite another brilliant goal, this time by Finlay with 10 minutes left, Truagh displayed more hunger and deservedly won the match. All in all it was a successful season for Ballybay at all levels. The Under 13's reached the semi final of their competition, losing out in extra time in a classic match against Toome. Our Under 16's reached both finals only to lose out to a very talented Killany team. St. Patrick's - the amalgamated minor side with Drumhowan won Division 2 of their league and lost narrowly to Scotstown in the Championship Final in what many are calling the game of the season at any level. Our Under 21's also won their league. So with our juveniles emerging as players to be contended with and the club back playing at Senior level, Ballybay Pearse Brothers are in immeasurably better shape now than they were 10 years ago. Tweet

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