Tang's failure to reach the knock-out stages of last season's intermediate championship has alarm bells ringing in the South Westmeath club. If winning and losing a game is the triumph and tragedy people often claim, then given what Tang supporters have gone through in the last two years they would not be out of place chewing Valium between courses of electric shock treatment. They would not sleep soundly again. Disturbed nightly by visions of the one point defeat to Athlone in the senior relegation playoff, horrified by a similar outcome in last year's intermediate playoff clash with Maryland. If we interpreted sport in the terms it is written, this would be a story of the end. Ironically, the season began encouragingly for Tang as they registered a respectable 0-11 to 1-8 draw with Ballymore in the opening round of the championship. They also recorded victories over Shandonagh (1-10 to 0-9) and St Loman's, while landing a late equaliser to secure a draw with Tubberclair. However, these results only left them on six points, where they were tied for third spot with Maryland. Follow Westmeath football and you'll grow accustomed to the traditional rivalry which exists between Tang and their neighbours Maryland. With a kind of dignified restraint, they temper their rivalry with common sense. The mutual antipathy is, they insist, all good-natured. "I suppose it's only natural that a bit of rivalry exists when clubs are so close to each other," offers Tang clubman Tom Keenan. "The clubs actually inter-lock each other, with swathes of land of one actually inter-locking the other. But the lads all play underage together so there's no bad blood between us." Still, everyone knows that local derbies always command the limelight, especially when there's so much at stake. These games have journalists drowning in metaphors, conjuring up images of epic warfare. Regardless of the quality, local derbies attract more attention than the most glamourous championship ties. The venue for last season's dramatic playoff was Cusack Park in late August. Tang chose to use county star Paul Conway in the unfamiliar full forward role, where they hoped his aerial ability would cause Maryland problems. The game began quite tentatively, with both sides swapping scores at ease. Michael Tumelty, Seamus Keenan, Eamonn Carey and Paul Conway all got on the score sheet to leaves the sides level at 0-7 apiece, before two points in quick succession gave Maryland a two point advantage at the break. Tang made a series of substitutions and positional changes at half time and began the second period in whirlwind fashion. The full forward line of Tumelty, Conway and Derek Hughes were giving their opponents a torrid afternoon, with Seamus Keenan and John O'Neill dominating proceedings at midfield. This proved to be Tang's most prosperous period of the game as they rattled over five points without reply, the most memorable being Denis Bannon's long range effort shortly after the restart. They looked on course for victory when disaster struck: centre forward Dermot Bannon picked up an injury and was forced to retire midway through the second half. Maryland, sensing victory, began to pile on the pressure and forced the Tang defence into conceding a number of frees, which were expertly converted by David Martin. Tang still led by a point with time running out when a speculative shot was deflected in their goalmouth and somehow finished to the net by Vinny Browne. Despite all their efforts Tang couldn't haul back the two point deficit and bowed out of the intermediate championship by the narrowest of margins, 0-15 to 1-13. "It was a game we could easily have won," Tom offers. "We were completely on top at the start of the second half but gradually let Maryland back into it. The injury to Dermot [Bannon] didn't help because he was playing well at the time but it's the manner in which they got the goal that still rankles. We went to sleep at the back and got punished. It was disappointing because I didn't think we deserved to lose that game." Tang have chosen to take things on a year-by-year basis but realise the importance of the coming season. The short-term goal is to reclaim their senior status, but it's the long-term aim that catches the eye. "We want to keep making progress at juvenile level," says Tom, "so that we've a steady flow of players breaking through to the adult teams. That's our main priority. Ultimately, you need to win something but success will come once the correct structures are in place." Therein lies the crux. Tang's location - on the Longford border - meant that they were competing with both Ballymahon and Maryland for players at schools level. The club decided to amalgamate with Maryland back in 1993, a move that proved to be a tremendous success. Tom has played a significant role with the club's minor board and saw them reap success at every level, the most notable being the under-12 Premier Championship won in 1994. His belief is that success at an early age will encourage youngsters to continue playing at an older age, increasing the likelihood of Tang regaining their senior status. Tom Keenan is a leviathan of Gaelic football. As player, selector and manager he has given a lifetime's service to Tang, winning one junior and three intermediate championship medals along the way. Driven by burning ambition, he was part of the history-making junior team of 1971, along with other great names like Tommy Lennon, JJ Flanagan, Joe Fox, Tom Farrell and Tom Flanagan. That side reached the intermediate final the following year but got beaten by Ballymore. However, twelve months later they captured the title for the first time at Caulry's expense and began competing in the senior grade. They reached a senior league final in 1977 but dropped back down to intermediate two years later. Their stint in the lower grade was brief as a crucial goal by JJ Flanagan helped then topple St Paul's in the 1982 intermediate decider. In the space of a few years Tang became a major force at the highest level and contested the 1986 SFC semi-final, where they got narrowly beaten by The Downs. They dropped back to the intermediate grade a few seasons later but bounced back in style, defeating Tyrrellspass 2-9 to 2-6 in the 1990 intermediate decider. Tom Keenan played a significant role in all these successes. He lined out at left half forward in the junior final of '73, while notching a point in the intermediate decider two years later in the same position. He played all his early football as a forward but resorted back to the defence for the latter part of his career, lining out at full back in both the '82 and '90 successes. Indeed, he captained the side to victory over St Paul's in the '82 decider. Tom has also been a selector and manager with Tang teams down the years, while playing a role with Westmeath at under-21 level. "I was a selector with the Westmeath under-21s in both 1997 and '98. We reached the Leinster final in '97 but Meath beat us, then Dublin knocked us out in the first round the following year. It was a good experience working with Luke Dempsey though." What does the future hold for Tang? "I think the players in this club are well able to win an intermediate championship," he asserts. "Last year was obviously disappointing for us but it's not the end of the world and we'll back with a point to prove this year. We might just surprise a few people." Tweet

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