It wasn't the greatest season ever for CLG Sean MacDiarmada but 2011 wasn't a nightmare year either for the Threemilehouse club. While they failed to make any progress in the intermediate football championship, the Seans at least consolidated their new-found middle-grade status with a modest showing in the league, which means they live to fight another day. And the Seans had reason to be proud as clubman Mark Keogh established himself as Monaghan senior goalkeeper.

Having won the 2010 Monaghan junior football league, Sean MacDiarmada went into the new season full of hope. Could they achieve back-to-back promotions and step up to senior ranks? At the very least, the club wanted to preserve its intermediate status. In the end, they had to settle for mere consolidation after the draw for the IFC presented them with two extremely difficult ties, both of which they lost narrowly.
In the first round of the McGuigan Builders Intermediate Football Championship, the Seans were paired with competition favourites Carrickmacross Emmets and the town side - down from senior for the first time in five years - prevailed by the narrowest of margins at Clontibret on Sunday, June 12th: 0-11 to 1-7. This was an exciting, action-packed contest played out is unbelievably difficult conditions. Two divisions had separated these sides twelve months earlier but the Seans produced a gallant display and could consider themselves unfortunate not to at least earn a replay.
Sean MacDiarmada went into the IFC with a point to prove. Though they'd won promotion the previous year, their championship form hadn't been great, beating Toome before losing to Cremartin and Killeevan inside a week in the 2010 JFC. Carrick' were sitting top of the intermediate league table at the time of this game, with twelve points from a possible 14, while Seans were second from bottom. Clearly, it would require a huge effort and such a performance duly materialised as the Threemilehouse men almost carved out a win against all odds…
When substitute and captain Damien Larkin found the net late on, the underdogs were within a point. But, alas, they ran out of time and Carrick' held on to progress to Round Two. Larkin - the club captain - was unable to start due to injury, while county man Pat Kieran also missed out with the injury that destroyed his entire season. County custodian Mark Keogh also missed the Carrick' match and Damien Connolly wasn't fit enough to start. So the men from Threemilehouse could consider themselves extremely unfortunate. With the full complement, this is a game they could have won. As it was, they performed superbly on the day, with James Treanor, Paraic McGuirk and Philip Farrell particularly prominent.
Treanor's early free had the Seans up and running first following a foul on Danny McNally and goalkeeper Murt Cleere made a good save to deny Carrick' an early goal. McNally scored after the Emmets had levelled and Carrick' then moved ahead with four successive points before Treanor knocked over a 13-metre free and added a point from play. It was in the melting pot at the turnaround: 0-6 to 0-4.
Carrick' extended their lead before substitute Damien Connolly replied for the Seans. Noel Rice hit the crossbar and a McNally pointed free cancelled out one from Mark Downey. The winners moved five points clear before the Seans finished like a house on fire with a point from sub Paddy Kieran and Larkin's last-minute goal. As they prepared to face Tyholland in the back door - another very difficult draw - the Seans were left wondering what might have been.
Sean MacDiarmada, 2011 Monaghan IFC first round V Carrickmacross: M Cleere; P Farrell, E McElvaney, E Clerkin; N Lynch, M Kieran, B McQuaid; P McGuirk, C Hughes; D McNally (0-2), N Rice, E McQuillan; D McEntee, J Treanor (0-3), S Larkin. Subs: D Connolly (0-1) for McQuillan (22); D McMahon for Hughes (24); Paddy Kieran (0-1) for Lynch (41); D Larkin (captain, 1-0) for S Larkin (51).
Tyholland has lost to Donaghmoyne in their opener and were certainly the booby draw in the back door. The Seans welcomed some players back from injury and were delighted to have Damien Larkin and Mark Keogh in particular available for selection again. The latter would start at centrefield, with Murt Cleere continuing in goal. Unfortunately, Paddy Kieran - who was on the county senior panel for the McKenna Cup and made his intercounty debut in January - again missed out. This was a massive blow and there's little doubt that Kieran would have made a big difference had he featured. As it was, the Seans were again pipped - this time by 3-15 to 2-13 after extra time at Ballybay on Saturday July 16th.
A strong wind blew across the pitch, wreaking havoc for both teams. Playing into the wind in the first half, the Seans managed just two scores - one at the start of the half and one right at the end - as they slipped seven behind by the break, 1-6 to 0-2. Damien Larkin had got them up and running with a 30-metre free inside a minute but half an hour passed before the team captain added to their tally, having uncharacteristically missed a possible goal chance moments earlier. Sean McDermotts had it all to do in the second half but they knew the wind would be a big factor…
David McEntee pointed soon after the restart following good work from Noel Rice and Nigel Lynch and the latter followed up with a fourth Seans score. Daire Freeman and Tyholland's Raymond Ronaghan were dismissed for an off-the-ball incident before Larkin traded scores with James McQuaid. Larkin then set up Lynch for a goal and he won and converted a close-range free to leave the gap at just three points.
Larkin and Askin exchanged 20-metre frees. It was 1-10 to 1-7 going into the closing stages but the Seans now showed their mettle with a run of three points in as many minutes via McEntee, substitute Shane Larkin and Damien Larkin, with a free from almost 50 metres. When Tyholland pounced for what they believed to be the decisive point, Larkin kicked a super score from play to leave the sides tied at 1-11 each at the end of normal time.
The first period of extra time was a complete nightmare for the Threemilehouse men. They had Rice sent off for an off-the-ball incident and also conceded 2-3 without reply, leaving themselves a mammoth challenge, trailing by 3-14 to 1-11 with ten minutes to play. The 14-man Seans made a purposeful start to the second period of extra-time with a goal and a point from Brian McQuaid and another Damien Larkin point to close the gap to four, but they had left themselves too much to do and their championship season was over.
They were out of contention to repeat their 2010 feat by achieving promotion via the league but at least did enough in the remainder of an injury-ravaged season to assure themselves of intermediate football again in 2012.
This was the championship team against Tyholland: Murt Cleere; Philip Farrell, Emmet McElvaney, Emmet Clerkin; Brian McQuaid (1-1), Martin Kieran, Noel Rice; Paraic McGuirk, Mark Keogh; Nigel Lynch (1-1), Derek McMahon, Danny McNally; Daire Freeman, David McEntee (0-2), Damien Larkin (captain, 0-8). Subs: Shane Larkin (0-1) for McNally (h/t); Conor McElroy for Lynch (46); James Treanor for Keogh (57). Extra time: Shane O'Neill; Damien Connolly for Treanor (7). Tweet

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