After a very enjoyable and relatively successful period in senior ranks of Co. Monaghan Football, the Tyholland club's sojourn in the premier grade finally came to an end at O'Neill Park in Clontibret on Sunday 5th November last, when they were pipped to the post by Ballybay in a relegation play-off that decided who should make the drop, along with Truagh, to the Intermediate grade for 2007. The final score-line of 1-12 to 2-8 shows just how close they came to maintaining their senior status, writes Seamus McCluskey But don't let anybody kid themselves - such a set-back for this very highly progressive north county club is only a temporary blip in their proud history and they will not spend too many years in any grade lower than senior. That fact can truly be depended upon. The spirit was never higher than it is at the moment, despite that set-back, and they look forward to enjoying a season in which they have the beating of every single one of the other nine teams in the Intermediate grade next year. Tyholland's Championship run in the 2006 series could not have been a more difficult road to traverse. In fact, they had the most difficult of all draws in the entire Senior Championship, being drawn against neighbours Clontibret in the opening round - the team that would go on to capture the Senior title and Mick Duffy Cup, while in the 'back-door' series they were pitted against the outgoing champions and ultimate county finalists, Latton. Let no one try to argue that there could have been a more difficult road to face than that. The opening round of the Championship had been played at Emyvale on the last Sunday of July and Tyholland simply had not the fire-power to stop the onward march of the O'Neills, who would eventually prove themselves the best club team in county. Played on an ideal surface, this proved much too steep a hurdle to surmount, and despite the best efforts of Gary McQuaid at full-back, Kevin McQuaid in the half-back line, Raymond Ronaghan in the forwards, they could not stop the onward march of their strong close neighbours. Their scores came from - Raymond Ronaghan (0-3), Gary McQuaid, Brendan McQuillan, Ian Treanor, Gregory Ronaghan,, Shane Treanor, Cyril Ronaghan and Paul Askin (0-1 each). Tyholland had lined out: - Ciaran Boyce, Own Roe Kavanagh, Gary McQuaid, Brendan McQuillan, Daniel Connolly, Kevin McQuaid, Ian Treanor, Ronan McNally, Raymond Ronaghan, Karl O'Connell, John McConnell, Gregory Ronaghan, Shane Treanor, Cyril Ronaghan and Brian McArdle. Subs used: - Paul Askin, Paul McQuaid, James McStravog and Cathal Quinn. The 'back-door' system was still there as an opportunity, but it was Tyholland's ill-fortune to be drawn against the reigning champions Latton, who were riding on the crest of a wave at the time and who would go on to contest the Final. Castleblayney was the venue for this one, on the last Saturday in August, and, despite a much improved performance, Tyholland again came a cropper, but only after the champions had pulled away in the last quarter. In fact, Tyholland enjoyed the better of the exchanges in the opening quarter and looked as if they might even cause an upset, but the loss of a player towards the end of that fine early period was a blow from which they never really recovered. And so it was a return to the Senior League competition and it was here also that success could still be obtained, but even more importantly, where failure could possibly cost the team its senior status if things did not go their way. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened and, despite a tremendous fight-back in the concluding stages of the league, they found themselves in real relegation trouble, but still with a slim chance of survival when they were fixed to meet Ballybay in a final play-off to decide who should make the drop. Their opening game had been against Castleblayney, but after a postponement, it finally went ahead, with Tyholland losing only narrowly to the former kingpins of Monaghan football, on a final score-line of 1-8 and 1-6. On Sunday 16th April they made the short trip to play their southern neighbours and did remarkably well to share the spoils on a final score-line of Clontibret 1-11. Tyholland 3-5. On Wednesday 19th April they had Maghercloone as visitors to St. Patrick's Park but ended up on the wrong end of a 1-11 to 2-5 score-line. April was certainly not proving to be a very fruitful month for the club as they ended it on Saturday 29th April by going down to Scotstown, 5-8 to 1-12. Worse was to follow in their next outing when they were overwhelmed by reigning county champions. Latton, at Tyholland on Sunday 7th May. The score-board in that one, however, certainly did not do justice to Tyholland, who were short quite a number of their more established players. They had lined out: - Cian Boyce, Kevin Kavanagh, Ian Treanor, Peadar Farrelly, Owen Roe Kavanagh, Ronan McNally, Trevor Connolly, Cyril Ronaghan (1-0), Paul McQuaid, Barry Farrelly (0-1), Paul Askin (0-4), James McQuaid (0-1), Patrick Hughes, Carl O'Connell and Daniel Connolly. Subs used: - Roddy McCoy and Brendan Treanor (0-1). It now looked as if May would prove a repetition of April when they lost by the narrowest of margins to Ballybay, 2-8 to 2-7, on Wednesday 24th May in Pearse Park. However, that was not to be the case, and success finally arrived on the last Sunday of May when they travelled the short journey to St. Mellen's Park and overcame Truagh by 3-5 to 0-11. Success at last and the corner had finally been turned. That run of dreadful ill-fortune had finally been put to rest and the victory over Truagh was followed by a second win on-the-trot the very next Sunday, when they had Inniskeen as visitors, and ended up with both points in the bag, the score-board at the end reading: - Tyholland 2-7, Inniskeen 0-12. Tyholland had finally found the sweet taste of success and they made it three wins in a row when they travelled to Donaghmoyne on Wednesday 7th June and defeated the homesters by 1-10 to 0-10. First half of the League over, and spirits had now been raised considerably, following the unfortunate beginning. Six points from the last three games, against some of the best clubs in the county, was certainly no mean achievement. However, the good run was brought to a halt in Castleblayney on Wednesday 14th June when the 'Mighty Faughs' stole the honours, winning by 1-7 to 0-8. A week later Tyholland took a valuable point from visiting Clontibret, 0-9 each, following one of their best performances of the entire season. Next outing was into the deep south to meet Magheracloone, never an easy task for any club, and so it proved for Tyholland, but they just ran short against their more fancied opponents, 1-11 to 2-5. On Wednesday 19th July they had the strong Scotstown contingent to deal with and defeat was again the result, as the visitors won by 1-13 to 2-8. It was then three defeats in a row when Latton added to their woes at O'Rahily Park, winning by 0-15 to 2-6. This bad break continued when visiting Ballybay took the honours at Tyholland, 0-11 to 0-9. The slide was stopped, however, when Truagh came as visitors and the sides ended level, 0-5 each, after a low-scoring, closely contested game on Wednesday 16th August. There were games left and the points were now absolutely vital if the club was to escape relegation. The players now showed their true metal when their backs were put to the wall and they travelled to Inniskeen and came home with two of the most valuable points of their entire league campaign - Tyholland 1-12, Inniskeen 1-9. The final game was a clash with visiting Donaghmoyne and the result was a draw - Tyholland 1-10, Donaghmoyne 0-13. Three points from those final two games left Tyholland and Ballybay tied on the second last rung of the senior league ladder, but they had to wait to see how Truagh would fare out in the Championship, in which they were still involved. When they finally made their exist, a play-off between Tyholland and Ballybay became necessary to decide who would be the second team to make the drop to Intermediate ranks for 2007. This one was fixed for Clontibret on Sunday 29th October, but the sides finished all square - Ballybay 0-16, Tyholland 1-13, showing the determination of both sides to retain their senior status. The replay was fixed for the dame venue the following Sunday, 5th November , and once again it was to be an extremely close affair, with Tyholland eventually losing by the very narrowest of margins, 1-12 to 2-8. And so they years ended in something of a disappointment, but it should never have happened that way if luck had only smiled more kindly on the club during the earlier stages of the League. That was where the senior status was really lost, and not in the final play-off. However, the vast improvement that was eventually emerging, even though belatedly, was surely a good omen and an encouraging sign that Tyholland's days in the Intermediate grade will be short and sweet. Tweet

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